Sport
Raphinha Thanks Flick for Transforming His Career and Bringing Him to Barcelona
Barcelona winger Raphinha has expressed deep gratitude toward manager Hansi Flick, crediting him for changing the course of his career. Ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid, Raphinha shared how Flick’s influence made all the difference. The Brazilian revealed that, without Flick’s intervention, he might not have been at Barcelona today.
“I’ll always be thankful to Hansi Flick. He completely transformed my career,” Raphinha said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano. “He wanted to see me in training before deciding my future, and he included me in his plans. Without him, I might be at another club right now, not Barcelona.”
Raphinha has been in outstanding form this season, scoring 32 goals and assisting 25 in 51 appearances for the Catalan side. He has already secured the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España titles with Barcelona, and his performances have earned him a place as the joint-top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, tied with Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy, both with 13 goals.
Brazilian football legend Rivaldo has even backed Raphinha to claim the 2025 Ballon d’Or, a testament to his remarkable rise.
Sport
Thierry Henry Criticises Taking Dressing Room Issues to the Press
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Sport
PSG Luis Enrique Shares Hope for the 2026 Ballon d’Or
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
Sport
Walid Acherchour Backs Lamine Yamal to Win 2026 Ballon d’Or
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
