Barcelona striker Raphael Dias ‘Raphinha’ apologized this Wednesday on social media for the gestures he made to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano crowd after the Barça team’s elimination in the Champions League quarterfinals against Atlético de Madrid.
“I apologize for my gesture, which does not correspond to my values or my character. It was an act committed in a moment of tension, in response to a fan who was disrespecting me,” the Brazilian has justified on Instagram.
The events occurred after the final whistle, when Raphinha, who did not play due to injury but then joined his teammates on the pitch, made some signs to the stands that implied that the red and white team would be eliminated in the next round.
Likewise, the Brazilian forward has published another message addressed to the Barcelona fans, in which he assures that having witnessed the elimination from the sidelines means “one of the most difficult feelings” of his career for not having been able to be “on the field fighting” with his teammates.
“Being outside, prevented from doing what I love most, hurts in a way that is difficult to explain. I have suffered every minute as if I were there, with the constant desire to run, help and give everything for this team. I feel enormous pride in each of my teammates for what they did until the end,” he wrote.
All in all, the forward has expressed his confidence in the team’s future successes: “Now is the time to recover the body, but the soul is already focused on returning. Stronger, more prepared and with even more desire to help this club. Because this does not end here. We are going to lift our heads and fight together again. Because we are FC Barcelona.”
🚨🏡 Raphinha to Atletico Madrid fans on DAZN cameras: “You’re going home [next round]”.@DAZNFutbol @DAZNFootball 🎥 pic.twitter.com/eaYRdTnVQT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 14, 2026