. “I was in Brazil and Flick called. He said come talk to him before taking a final decision. I met him and he said he trusted in me, that I was going to be important, that the team[\u2019s play] would be good for me. In a moment like that, a few small words can change you.<\/span><\/p>\n“I felt a lot of faith in me. He gave me the confidence to play my football. I got an idea into my head: give everything, your life, regardless of the personal moment you\u2019re in.”<\/span><\/p>\nRaphinha continued: “The coach-player relationship is the most important in football. From the moment [Flick] arrived, we could talk to him about anything – and anything is anything.<\/span><\/p>\n“That time, I saw him, head down. At first, I didn\u2019t really understand why. I asked what was wrong. He said he felt the team wasn\u2019t playing well. From what I remember, I told him it was OK, we\u2019d won and we would play well again. I prefer a thousand times to win playing badly than lose playing well. Win games, confidence and the football comes.”<\/span><\/p>\nThe winger emphasised the profound impact of that managerial support on his overall self-belief. He added: “I always have and always will say that he changed my mentality, changed me as a person.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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