The international break is a vital part of the season for many top football players, but it is particularly longer for South American nationals playing for European clubs, given the prolonged travel.
From Barcelona’s perspective, it is the Brazilian and Uruguayan camps that most seriously affect Hansi Flick’s plans, with the likes of Raphinha and Ronald Araujo being the aggrieved parties.
Given the long travel the players must endure, it is not uncommon for players from big clubs or who have a hectic schedule at the club level to be rested for the team’s final game of the international break, more so if the result is immaterial.
As relayed in a recent report by SPORT, Barcelona captain Raphinha is furious with how his situation was handled by Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti during the ongoing international break.
Brazil’s place in the upcoming FIFA World Cup has been secure since June, and all the team’s games in the ongoing international break were, thus, immaterial.
Raphinha played the final minutes against Bolivia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
The coach, however, barely provided Raphinha any respite as the player not only had to endure the long travel but also played 79 minutes against Chile and then the final 30 minutes against Bolivia.
The latter is, in particular, what left Raphinha furious, for it was played at 4100 metres above sea level at a temperature of just six degrees and in front of an extremely hostile crowd.
“From the moment a team makes you play at 4,000 meters above sea level in order to win the match, I think that’s quite detrimental to other teams,” said the Barcelona captain after the match.
Brazil were indeed losing when he came on, but even a defeat would not have mattered to the Selecao in any capacity.
The player, thus, could have been saved from the exhaustion, especially given his extensive involvement at the club level.
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