Barcelona legend makes surprise Raphinha Ballon d’Or claim and praises Flick’s squad: ‘They play at a different pace’

Barcelona legend makes surprise Raphinha Ballon d’Or claim and praises Flick’s squad: ‘They play at a different pace’ Barcelona legend Carles Rexach has backed Raphinha to win the Ballon d’Or despite the Brazilian not even making the shortlist for the prestigious individual award. Rexach spent 44 years at Barcelona as a player, including through the youth ranks, and later worked as a coach.  His assessment of Raphinha, meanwhile, comes alongside an equally positive view of Hansi Flick’s current side, who he believes are playing at a different pace to most of their Spanish rivals. Rexach sees Barcelona operating at a different level The former Barça forward, who played 450 games, scoring 122 goals, believes the club’s impressive form is based on more than his natural optimism towards his former club. Explaining his assessment of the current Barcelona team, Rexach said,  “It’s not just that I’m being optimistic – because things are working, and working well – but looking at it dispassionately and without emotion, Barça are currently operating at a different pace to the rest of the Spanish teams.  Carles Rexach has praised Hansi Flick’s Barcelona team. (Picture credit: Allsport UK /Allsport) “At the moment, the only team that can give Barça a run for their money is PSG; the rest don’t stand a chance – they play at a different pace, they run and they work hard.  “These players are all convinced of their potential. When you reach veteran status, you might be a bit afraid of failing, but when you’re young, everything goes well. Barça are doing very well.  “Now, six points ahead of Madrid, and when we return from the international break we’ll be playing Madrid at home soon; if the gap widens to 8 or 9 points, that’s when things start to get worrying.” Raphinha is Rexach’s Ballon d’Or pick Rexach was even more emphatic when asked about the Ballon d’Or. Despite Raphinha’s absence from the shortlist, he believes the Barcelona forward deserves the prize based on his performances. Asked who he would choose if the award were handed out immediately, Rexach said,  “Right now, if they were to award the Ballon d’Or today, it would be Raphinha. Last year he won practically everything and this year he’s scored 14 goals.  Carles Rexach says Raphinha deserves the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) “But they’d need to be more specific about the criteria for awarding it; we’d need to know the timeframe, whether titles and goals count, or whether a defender’s goal counts as three or not. “We need something more detailed, because otherwise everyone interprets it their own way, and as if football weren’t complicated enough, the last thing we need is an MVP every Sunday – as if there weren’t enough awards already.” Rexach looks back on his Barcelona influence Lastly, while reflecting on his extraordinary connection with Barcelona, Rexach was asked how he viewed his own contribution to the club’s history. “I may well have had an influence in some areas, because as a player you make an impact through your playing.  “Then, as a coach, technical director or in player recruitment, that’s a different story, but of all those things, what I remember most is playing – that’s when I enjoyed myself the most,” he concluded. Source: Mundo Deportivo