Hansi Flick happy Raphinha is back for Barcelona with the 2025-26 La Liga title in sight

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick celebrated the return of winger Raphinha from injury on Friday as the Catalans inch closer to the 2025/26 La Liga title.

Flick’s team are eleven points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid and can win a second straight league title this weekend if they beat Osasuna on Saturday and Los Blancos drop points against out-of-form Espanyol the next day.

Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury playing for Brazil in March, which left him sidelined as Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona face Real Madrid in a Clásico on May 10, which could seal their title defense if they fail to clinch the title this weekend, and still have a chance to equal the all-time record of 100 points in a Spanish league match.

«Rapha is a player who always gives us 100 percent, both on the field and in training,» Flick told reporters.

«His mentality, his attitude, is always 100 percent and that helps us a lot. This season he has been struggling with an injury, so for us it is important to have him back. He will also travel with us and we will see what happens tomorrow… I think it is also great for the team to have him back because he is one of our captains, he is positive and can give us the things we need,» he added.

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Barca are without injured teenage star Lamine Yamal. Flick says the 18-year-old is recovering well from the hamstring problem, which will keep him out until the end of the season.

«He is doing well, so the evolution is good. I think we will see him at the World Cup. He has time, more time, to recover and come back. And this is what he wants,» said Flick.

If Barcelona wins its remaining five league matches, it will reach the record of 100 points first achieved by Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid in 2012 and then equaled by Tito Vilanova’s Barcelona side in 2013.

“We are only focused on the next game, but of course we want to win every game between now and the end of the season,” said Flick.

«For me it would be perfect if we can win every match, but also have strong opponents. Our job is to play at our best level in every match, to learn from the match for the next match and for our training. So this is our philosophy, our attitude, our mentality,» he added.

Published on May 1, 2026