Raphinha dedicates Barcelona victory to Tenerife striker who recently passed away: ‘Not a good day to talk about football’

Raphinha dedicates Barcelona victory to Tenerife striker who recently passed away: ‘Not a good day to talk about football’ Barcelona captain Raphinha dedicated his two-goal performance against Aston Villa to Jesus de Miguel, the Tenerife striker who tragically died following a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Owono during a match.  Speaking after Barcelona’s 3-0 victory , the Brazilian explained his subdued celebrations and offered condolences to the player’s family. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong used the post-match interview to address the criticism surrounding his fitness and availability, insisting that he feels stronger and more motivated after returning from injury. Raphinha explains emotional reaction after Barcelona brace Raphinha was named Man of the Match after scoring twice against Aston Villa, but his celebrations were noticeably restrained compared with his usual reactions. The Barcelona captain revealed that his thoughts were with De Miguel, whose death had deeply affected the football community.  Rather than focusing on his individual performance, the Brazilian dedicated the victory to Barcelona supporters and paid tribute to the Tenerife forward. “It’s not a good day to talk about football. I dedicate this victory to the fans, but I want to send my deepest condolences to Jesus de Miguel’s family on behalf of the club.  Raphinha did not want to celebrate his performance vs Aston Villa. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) “May he rest in peace,” said Raphinha. He also explained how the incident had affected the Barcelona dressing room after the players became aware of what had happened. “It could have happened to anyone. It’s very hard. It could happen to us too. When we saw it, we were all shocked,” he added. When asked to analyse the match further, Raphinha made clear that he did not want to discuss football under the circumstances. “I’d rather leave it at that.” De Jong responds to criticism after Barcelona return While Raphinha’s comments centred on the tragedy, De Jong addressed questions surrounding his recent injury problems and the scrutiny he has faced. The Dutch midfielder celebrated his 300th Barcelona appearance by receiving a commemorative shirt from his teammates following the Aston Villa victory.  Frenkie de Jong is aiming to start against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) He subsequently delivered a confident assessment of his current condition. “I’m feeling great, really strong, raring to go and very motivated. What’s done is done.  “I know there’s always a bit of a fuss around me, especially when I’m not around – in the summer when there’s no football or when I’m injured… but I’m in great shape now, so let’s see what happens,” he said. De Jong targets starting role against Atletico Madrid De Jong also made his ambitions clear ahead of Barcelona’s upcoming meeting with Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano. “I’d like to start matches from the off, but we have to bear in mind that I’ve been out for a long time and that’s up to the coaching staff.” Lastly, He was asked about the possibility of the next La Liga matchday being suspended following De Miguel’s death, with the AFE having requested a postponement as a mark of mourning. “I would understand if it were suspended, and I would also understand if the next matchday went ahead, but it’s not up to me to decide,” he concluded.