Raphinha sustained a right hamstring injury during the match between Brazil and France a few days ago, which will sideline him for several weeks. The situation was not well received at Barcelona, and president Joan Laporta has now addressed FIFA over the issue.
“Raphinha’s injury is a shame,” Laporta said during a recent interview with Mon Esport. “It’s a friendly match, and one of the team’s best players suffers an injury. Of course it’s annoying… It’s infuriating!”
The Barcelona president was quick to make clear that Raphinha was not at fault. “You can’t blame the players. They are professionals and they give their all for their country,” he explained.
Instead, Laporta pointed to where he believes the main responsibility lies in these situations. “The problem is the crowded schedule, in the time of the season where we are playing for everything,” he said. “FIFA must make their calendar considering that these players play for big clubs.”
Michael Olise of France runs with the ball against Raphinha of Brazil.
Raphinha will miss key Barcelona matches
Barcelona’s complaints are understandable given, as Laporta noted, the timing of Raphinha’s injury. This Saturday, they will face Atletico Madrid in a crucial La Liga clash that could be decisive in maintaining their lead with nine matches remaining.
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And that’s not all: just four days later, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will meet again in an even more significant matchup. They are set to play the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the Camp Nou, with the decisive second leg scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, in Madrid.
By then, Raphinha will have been recovering from his hamstring injury for just over two weeks—a timeframe typically insufficient for a full recovery from this type of issue. As a result, Barcelona are effectively ruling out the winger for the entire series against Atletico Madrid, representing a major setback for Hansi Flick.
The FIFA calendar
While Joan Laporta’s complaints are understandable given the impact on Barcelona, his criticism does not fully reflect how the FIFA calendar is structured. Most leagues around the world run from September through May, with the early months of the year typically representing the most decisive stretch of the season.
During that period, FIFA schedules only one international break—the March window. It is the first of the year, with the next not coming until June, after club competitions have concluded. In contrast, the bulk of international fixtures takes place in the second half of the year, aligning with the early stages of the club season, when overall demands are lower.
