Barcelona captain Raphinha was interviewed by Catalan radio station RAC1. In the first part of this exclusive interview, Raphinha discusses his remarkable start to the season, his decision to play as a center forward, and the important role Flick played in his decision to stay.

Host: We're at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper to chat with Barcelona's captain, a star player, and currently the hottest player in all of Europe. He's scoring lots of goals, and that's Raphinha. Joining us for today's interview are Gerard Bellera and Marta Ramon. We're with a world-class superstar, arguably the player in peak form right now. Hello, Raphinha, how are you doing lately?

Raphinha: I'm doing well, is everything alright with you?

Host: Thank you so much for making time for this interview. How are you feeling?

Raphinha: You're welcome, thanks for coming. I'm doing well, very well.

Host: Can I try conducting the interview in Catalan? Will it be a bit difficult to understand?

Raphinha: Yes, go ahead and try.

Host: Then I'll give it a go.

Raphinha: But I'll answer in Spanish, if that's okay?

Host: No problem at all, of course. How's your ankle—the one that got stepped on—is it feeling better?

Raphinha: It's fine, it's good. Yes, it's good.

Host: So no serious injury, that's good.

Raphinha: No problem, no injury.

Host: Nine goals in La Liga, two goals in the Champions League. Did you expect such a remarkable start to the season?

Raphinha: Actually, I always hope for a good start to the season. Obviously, these numbers might surprise some people, but with the effort I know I'm capable of, I've been hoping for a long time to start the season with good momentum. But honestly, my current form has been really impressive.

Host: Are you not surprised by your outstanding performance right now?

Raphinha: No, I'm not surprised.

Host: You're not surprised? Have you ever played as a center forward before?

Raphinha: No.

Host: Never played it before? Not even in training sessions?

Raphinha: Maybe in some training sessions, or playing briefly in a few random matches, but clearly not consistently over several matches like now, always in this position.

Host: Are you surprised that you actually feel comfortable playing in this position, or...?

Raphinha: That's part of it. Honestly, I never thought I could adapt so well to this position. Because playing with your back to the center backs is quite uncomfortable; they're constantly pressing you from behind, hitting you hard. (laughs)

Host: But you're not really playing with your back to goal, because you're always running into space, making forward runs, right?

Raphinha: Yes, exactly, that's it. I didn't think I could adapt so well, so on the pitch, what I try to do as much as possible is avoid receiving the ball with my back to goal.

Host: Of course, of course. So you're not planning to leave the center forward position in the future? Does that mean Raphinha will switch to center forward from this season until the end of his career?

Raphinha: Well, I can play anywhere, whatever the coach wants. Honestly, I always say I'll try to adapt to whatever position the team needs. At the end of the day, to stay on the pitch and play, you have to have that mentality, right? If I didn't, if I was stubborn about a certain position, insisting on only playing my old role as a right winger, I'd probably end up on the bench. So I have to learn to be flexible and adapt. I'm someone willing to adapt to all demands, wherever the coach tells me to play, I'll definitely do my best to make it work.

Host: So are you better as a center forward now than as a winger?

Raphinha: Apparently so. (laughs)

Host: You didn't even know that before! Listen, I'm really curious: who brought it up first? Did Flick approach you, or did you tell him: "Hey, if Julián doesn't arrive, maybe I could play as a center forward"? Don't mess with me, I really want to know how this happened.

Raphinha: This... honestly, I'm not even sure how to explain it.

Host: There must have been a day when he just told you directly...

Raphinha: I think it was a match against Osasuna... I don't remember playing as number nine in training beforehand, I really don't. Just before that match, the coach told me to start as number nine, and then he was planning to move me back to the wing later. I just said, "Okay, no problem, whatever you want me to do, I'll do it." So I went out and played. In the second half, I remember being moved to the wing, I think that was the left wing. I also remember before La Liga started, we were training, and I played as number nine, Antony on the left, and Lamine Yamal on the right. The coach came over and asked if I was comfortable, and if I wanted, I could go back to the wing anytime and let Antony play as number nine. I told him not to change it, that I felt good, not to worry, and if there were any issues during the match, we could adjust. It turned out I played very well in that match, and after that, I never asked to swap positions again.

Host: But you had some concerns at the beginning, didn't you?

Raphinha: Yes, I did have concerns.

Host: Why? Were you worried you wouldn't score goals?

Raphinha: Of course, because forwards are judged by their goals. At the end of the day, you're playing as number nine, and that position was originally only Robert Lewandowski's. So, well, if you don't score goals, the fans will blame you and will demand goals from you strictly. So I was indeed a bit worried at that time, and also concerned about adapting, like receiving the ball with my back to goal and all that. But in the end, I think I made a pretty good start, and I'm enjoying it.

Host: Did Robert Lewandowski call you? Send you a message or reach out?

Raphinha: No, he didn't.

Host: He didn't?

Raphinha: But I have... this is quite interesting. It was during the Spanish Super Cup final, I think. We took a photo with one of those instant Polaroid cameras...

Host: Yes, yes, yes.

Raphinha: I took a photo with him, he kept one, and gave me another. It might sound crazy, but I still have that photo in my locker. I thought, "I need to keep this photo, it always brings me good luck."

Host: As a role model?

Raphinha: Yes, as a role model. Right now my role model is Robert Lewandowski, needless to say.

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