According to Cadena SER, former Barcelona manager Quique Setién stated unequivocally during an interview at the Gran Canaria Football Forum that if he had a vote, he would award the Ballon d'Or to Raphinha.

Setién has been out of coaching for a year. Both as a player and a coach, he has had a complete professional career, dedicating nearly half his life to football. Although he is not currently coaching, his life remains closely tied to the world's most popular Sport.

He recently attended a football forum in Gran Canaria to share his extensive knowledge of the Sport. The former coach was interviewed by SER Deportivos Gran Canaria, where he discussed his current professional life and the Ballon d'Or award. On the subject of the Ballon d'Or, he was "very clear" about his choice—Raphinha.

Setién said, "No need to think about it. I would give the Ballon d'Or to Raphinha right now. I am very clear on this because he is the best player. He is not only the most effective and plays the most, but he also runs the most, works the hardest, and helps the team the most. He is an absolutely complete player."

Currently, Raphinha is performing at an exceptional level. His season start has been outstanding, scoring goals with ease. In just the first seven LaLiga matches, he has already scored 12 goals and provided 3 assists. In the one Champions League match he played, he scored 2 additional goals.

However, despite the Cantabrian coach's clear desire to award the Ballon d'Or to the Barcelona player, Raphinha is not on the shortlist. He will have to wait until next year for a chance to win the award.

Despite Raphinha's excellent form, the former coach also noted that maintaining such a pace for 10 consecutive months is "very difficult." He continued, "It's true that it's hard for him to maintain this level throughout the entire season, and people will criticize him if he can't sustain it."

Even so, for Setién, Raphinha is "an extraordinary player whose work ethic makes him not only the top scorer but also the one who covers the most distance at high intensity." Therefore, in his opinion, having a player of this caliber is "a luxury" and "sets an example for his teammates."

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