Raphinha rejected chance to switch international allegiance to Italy | OneFootball

Barcelona winger Raphinha turned down the chance to represent Italy at international level because he was determined to wait for his chance with Brazil.

Raphinha has been something of a late bloomer in his career and was nearly 25 by the time he made his senior debut for Brazil late last year.

An impressive spell at Leeds after just a year each at Sporting CP and Rennes resulted in a €58m switch to Barcelona this past summer. Now, Raphinha has become a regular starter for Brazil going into the 2022 World Cup. But things could have turned out quite differently.

SPORT has reported that the player was offered the chance to take a whole other path when he was approached to switch international allegiance to Italy.

It is said to have come during his time at Leeds but before his first Brazil call-up, which was in October 2021. Porto Alegre-born Raphinha qualified to represent Italy through his father, but specifically wanted to follow in the footsteps of hometown idol Ronaldinho for the Selecao.

The response is described as ‘polite rejection’ and his patience was eventually rewarded.

Ironically, had Raphinha chosen Italy he wouldn't have been going to the World Cup this month after the European champions bizarrely failed to qualify for the second time in a row.

Italy have a recent history of capping Brazilian-born players, with Jorginho, Emerson Palmieri and Rafael Toloi all hailing from Brazil and winning Euro 2020 with the Azzurri.