Barcelona’s 1-1 draw against Real Betis on Saturday night was overshadowed by a heated incident involving winger Raphinha, head coach Hansi Flick, and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barcelona Tensions Boil Over: Raphinha in Heated Row with Flick and Ter Stegen
The match, held at Estadi Olimpic Lluís Companys, saw early excitement with Gavi opening the scoring for Barcelona, only for Betis to equalize in the 17th minute through Natan.
Tensions escalated at the final whistle when Raphinha, who had been substituted in the 57th minute, stormed onto the pitch, visibly agitated.
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He approached the match officials, expressing his frustration, while teammate Robert Lewandowski attempted to calm him without success. In a display of anger, Raphinha forcefully kicked a ball away.
As Raphinha headed towards the tunnel, Ter Stegen intervened, attempting to pacify the Brazilian by placing an arm around him.
However, Raphinha pushed the goalkeeper away, leading to a brief physical exchange where Ter Stegen swatted Raphinha’s arm aside and nudged him towards the tunnel.
In the post-match press conference, Hansi Flick addressed the incident with a touch of humor, stating, “He was angry with me, not with the referee; he was yelling at me.”
Despite the draw, Barcelona remains four points clear at the top of La Liga, with Real Madrid trailing after their 2-1 defeat to Valencia earlier on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid, currently in third, could close the gap to seven points if they secure a win against Sevilla on Sunday.
Barcelona’s focus now shifts to their upcoming Champions League quarter-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Raphinha has been a standout performer this season, contributing significantly to Barcelona’s campaign.
The club will be keen to move past this incident and maintain their momentum as they approach the critical stages of both domestic and European competitions.
