Home » Raphinha on Barcelona-Benfica brawl: “I returned the insults”

Raphinha on Barcelona-Benfica brawl: “I returned the insults”

Raphinha said that insults from Benfica led to a brawl after his stoppage-time goal secured Barcelona a 5-4 Champions League win.

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Raphinha explains what happened during Barcelona-Benfica brawl

Raphinha’s 96th-minute goal completed Barca’s dramatic comeback, despite being down 3-1 and 4-2 earlier.

After the game, Benfica coach Bruno Lage scolded his players on the field for losing.

The drama only escalated as the players headed down the tunnel, with some confronting the Brazilian international.

Barça’s players stepped in to protect their teammate during the tense moment. Police arrived and ended the brawl.

“I’m someone who respects everyone,” Raphinha told reporters after the game.

“When I was leaving the pitch, people were insulting me. I returned the insults. I know I shouldn’t. It got heated with the Benfica players … they preferred to insult me.”

“I’m someone who doesn’t let anything lie. I respect them if they respect me, but I don’t shut up if they insult me. It’s normal after an ending like that to a match.”

“Best moment of my career”

It was a memorable night for Raphinha, who scored twice as Barca secured their sixth straight Champions League win, earning a spot in the round of 16.

Named MVP of the match, Raphinha said he’s in the best form of his career.

The 28-year-old has now reached a career-high 22 goals across all competitions.

“I think I am in the best moment of my career, yes,” the Brazilian international added.

“We knew it would be hard here, we knew how good they were, especially playing in front of their fans, their players individually and as a team, but what matters is that we knew to keep our focus during the entire game.

He added: “We had the mindset that we could turn the game around after the break, scoring a second to get back into the game and we managed to do it in the end. We never gave up and grabbed a win.”