Gabriel Jesus talks Raphinha, Ronaldinho, Farinas, Cancelo, Barcelona adaptation, El Clasico

Gabriel Jesus talks Raphinha, Ronaldinho, Farinas, Cancelo, Barcelona adaptation, El Clasico Gabriel Jesus has taken part in a question-and-answer session with FC Barcelona fans through the club’s official channels. The Brazilian forward discussed his first few weeks as a Barça player, his teammates, Ronaldinho and his ambitions with the club, while naming Raphinha as the player he would trust to score the decisive goal in a Champions League final. “Raphinha is on fire. The way he finishes chances is crazy,” Jesus said when asked which Barcelona player he would trust with the responsibility of scoring the winning goal in a Champions League final. “I knew him from the national team and I already knew he was incredible when it came to finishing. And I think he has even improved,” he added. The new Barcelona forward also spoke about his first weeks in the city. Despite Barça going three weeks without a match during the latest international break, he explained that he did not have a complete holiday . “They gave us a plan for the days off and I trained a lot,” he noted. “I have felt very good. It was a month to adapt. I already knew some players I had played with, so it was good to get to know everyone. We have incredible players and a great coach. We are going in the right direction,” the striker added regarding his adaptation. Raphinha has been in excellent form. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Love for Barcelona Gabriel Jesus also explained what wearing the Barcelona shirt means to him. The Brazilian recalled having a special connection with the club from a young age. “I feel very good to be at a club like this. All the fans remind me that I used to miss some classes to watch Barça in the Champions League,” he said. Years later, he has finally had the chance to wear the shirt himself. “To end up wearing the Barça shirt is something I thank God for. It is his doing. And here I am.” The forward was also asked which young player in the dressing room had surprised him most. He immediately picked Brian Farinas, ahead of much more widely known names such as Lamine Yamal, Gavi and Pedri. “I already said that Farinas is the young player who has surprised me most because everyone talks about Lamine, Gavi, Pedri… everyone knows them, but not many people know Farinas,” he stated. “Training with him every day, I see great qualities and a great future,” he added, praising the youngster. Cancelo is his closest teammate Jesus was also asked to name the funniest player in the dressing room and the teammate with whom he has the closest relationship. On both occasions, he chose Joao Cancelo. “The funniest player in the team is Cancelo because of the way he talks, the way he is. He is a good guy. I have a very good relationship with him,” he said. He added: “I get on well with all my teammates, but I have a long history with Cancelo. We talk a lot, so I will go with Cancelo.” The Brazilian was also asked which teammate had surprised him most with their personality. He did not want to single out one player. “It is difficult to pick one apart from the ones I already knew. I think everyone is a good person. It was not a surprise because I had already been told that the dressing room was one of the strengths of this team.” Ronaldinho remains his Barça idol Jesus considers Ronaldinho his idol. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) The Brazilian also spoke about Ronaldinho’s influence on his relationship with Barcelona. “I knew Ronaldinho was a great legend, but when I arrived here I saw that he was a great help. Many people choose him as the best Brazilian in the history of Barça. He was my idol at Barça too,” said Jesus. Asked about his preferred position, Gabriel Jesus made it clear that his priority is simply to be on the pitch, while highlighting his versatility. “My favourite position is being on the pitch. I have the versatility to play in many positions. I can play inside and outside. Right now, I am comfortable as a number nine.” The former Arsenal man also identified his main strengths: “My best quality is my versatility and my winning mentality.” The Clasico is his biggest challenge Jesus already knows which fixture he is most eager to experience in a Barcelona shirt. “The big challenge here is every match, but we always want to play big games. There are Champions League matches like that, the Clasico … and I want to play in the Clasico one day. I choose that as the big challenge,” he noted. Among the advice he has received throughout his career, the Brazilian has retained a simple message: “The best advice I have been given is to be yourself.” Concluding, Jesus revealed one of the things that has surprised him most since arriving in Barcelona has been the scale of the club’s support. “At first, the fans surprised me. There can be hundreds of fans waiting at the hotels.” Source: SPORT