Rapha, Richy, And A Bit Of A Mystery
Two Brazilian forwards were on similar paths. Until they weren't.
This is a guest article by Chirag Sharatkumar. Subscribe to Sideline Stories.
In the summer of 2022, Brazilian forwards were hot commodities. Actually, let’s be real: Brazilian forwards have always been hot commodities. But in the summer of 2022, they were especially so. Among the Gabriel Jesuses deflecting to the new faction and the Antonys proving that there’s always room for another clown in the circus, there were two other headline Brazilians on the move.
For these two forwards, these two marquee transfers, and these two clubs that shelled out a pretty penny, that summer was supposed to be a leap forward. Instead, it has become a peculiar study in contrast. Raphinha to Barcelona, Richarlison to Spurs. One, a winger with velvet touches and a wand of a left boot, who marries moments of brilliance as much as he does moments of inconsistency. The other, a relentless scrapper who never backs down, strong in will, half playground bruiser, half cartoon pigeon, but with plenty of quality.
First came Raphinha, who left a Leeds United team that had just scraped to Premier League safety on the final day. He arrived in Barcelona alongside Robert Lewandowski as a spark, a flicker of something new and fresh in a club still trying to find its post-Lionel Messi soul.
Then Richarlison traded Merseyside, and his beloved Goodison Park, for north London as he joined forces with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to finally be that one thing that pushed Tottenham into the Premier League elite.
Both clubs paid fees of over £50 million, and in truth, got what they paid for. Just, perhaps, not exactly how they imagined.
Raphinha came with the promise of excitement, a jolt that was meant to revive a lethargic Barcelona. It was a big investment that for a long time didn’t look like it would pay off. His early performances featured plenty of energy but no rhythm, lots of effort but no ease. His output increased; his overall effectiveness improved perhaps from playing with better players.
In his first season, he registered 23 goal contributions in 50 matches, surpassing his previous season’s record of 14 goal contributions at Leeds by some margin. The following year, he bettered it by one for 24 goal contributions in 37 matches. Statistically solid. Visually, less so.
Across these first two campaigns, Raphinha was the picture of inconsistency. You could see it every time he stepped onto the pitch. Clear talent with anxious movement, an eagerness to drive at defences with little organisation, an admirable work ethic with a deep desire to simply do more. Perhaps to mean more too, not just to himself but to Barcelona.
But he was clouded. And it wasn’t just him. Barcelona as a club were an off-key hum. Xavi’s football was functional, fine, but the atmosphere was uncertain. The squad was a collection of misfit toys trying to remember what made them Barcelona in the first place. Raphinha’s relationship with Xavi was uneasy, not built on trust or confidence. Every summer, there was talk of replacements, shiny new toys to toe the party line better, with more “Barca DNA.” And the volatility of Barcelona itself meant that he was never quite sure where he stood, or if he did at all.
But as it so happens, change one detail and the entire picture looks different. That detail is one Hansi Flick. It is in the end always about belonging. Flick made Raphinha feel just that. Suddenly, he is a player emboldened, trusted, valued. One who is told not just that he is important but shown how. Suddenly, he is an elected club captain, a player entrusted not just to participate but to lead.
The impact on the pitch has been immense. In just 35 matches this season, Raphinha has racked up 24 goals and 15 assists, totalling 39 contributions. Numbers aren’t everything, but tactically, of course, the fit is better. Flick moved Raphinha to the left and gave him freedom to roam, unlocking facets of his game previously left dormant. The Brazilian works hard in defence and transition, and the setup allows him to play to his strengths, getting the opportunity to not just run at defenders, but run beyond them. More than the numbers, it’s the energy. Raphinha is playing like the pitch is his stage and he its ingenious performer. With form and fitness aligning, it seems Barcelona’s investment is finally reaping the rewards.
Speaking of reaping the rewards, it feels appropriate now to mention Tottenham because, well, they are not. There was optimism when Richarlison joined because at the time, Spurs didn’t particularly need a forward. Kane was Kane, Son was Son, and Dejan Kulusevski was getting better by the minute. There was no gaping hole to be filled. Richarlison then was a luxury addition, a sign that Spurs were taking themselves seriously enough to house quality on the bench too.
On paper, it made sense. Richarlison was Premier League-proven with important experience at Everton. At 25, he was young enough to warrant the fee and offered a sense of versatility across the frontline. He was hard-working, combative, not shy to put in the hard yards defensively, and, most importantly for then Spurs manager Antonio Conte, just the right amount of unhinged.
Richarlison is one of the Premier League’s perennial wind-up merchants, the kind of player every fan loves to hate until he joins their team. He’s a rough and tumble fighter, never far away from a reckless tackle or a loose push. He dances like a pigeon (yes, the fiercest creatures in the kingdom). He loves a good dive, thoroughly enjoys chatting to the referee (read: whining), and is, in short, a football bastard par excellence.
He is all these things yet he has not managed to consistently be these things at Spurs because he hasn’t played much football. Injuries have hampered his game time and his goal tallies are minimal, managing just three goals and four assists in 35 appearances in his first season. His second was better, with 12 goals and four assists in 31 outings, including a fantastic run in the middle of the campaign.
But injuries and, at times, some baffling team selections have restricted his minutes. In 14 appearances this term, he has netted three goals and provided one assist.
The output is concerning. In a season where Spurs manager Ange Postecoglu has had his fair share of headaches, losing Richarlison to injury has been a persistent throb. He has largely not been fit, and has not been able to get going when he has been on the pitch.
Still, there is something endearing about Richarlison, even in disappointment. He is, paradoxically, a likeable antagonist; an honest, unvarnished quality. Perhaps it’s his charity work and the fact that he has spoken out publicly on misinformation, police violence, and racism. Perhaps it’s his willingness to be open about his mental health struggles in a footballing climate that still prefers blinking silence and stoic shrugs. Perhaps it’s just because he is a character, and for better or for worse, football needs its characters.
And there has been highlights, too, during his time at Spurs. Let’s not forget those tears when he scored his first Champions League goal, or — while on international duty — those sensational goals at the 2022 World Cup.
Richarlison can also point to that workload, first for Everton, then for Brazil, resulting in the injuries that have blighted his Spurs career. He played through the pain to keep the Toffees up in 2021-22, which came on the back of the Olympics, which came on the back of the truncated COVID campaign in which matches came thick and fast. He may only be 27, turning 28 next month, but there are significant miles on the clock.
There is no doubting, too, his adoration for the Toffees. Has there ever been a player that looks more pained to score against a former team, albeit one that continues to do so at every given opportunity?
So here we are. Two Brazilians, two clubs, two stories unfolding in parallel but veering in opposite directions. Raphinha is finally Barcelona’s leading man, the trailblazer pushing his side back to the top. Richarlison has shown promise but has been marred by unavailability, the pigeon still waiting to take flight.
But football is in the end very fickle and nothing is guaranteed. For now, Richarlison will hope to regain his fitness and Raphinha maintain his form. You can’t help but get the feeling that whatever happens from here for Spurs and Barcelona, good or bad, these two will be central to the narrative, three years on from when it all began.