Raphinha has joined the party, dancing like a pigeon crapping on Roy Keane

Thinking about it now, it seems obvious. While the Spanish media have been wondering what it was going to take for Raphinha to recapture the mojo that made Barcelona so desperate to snatch him from Leeds, the answer was provided at the World Cup on Monday night: Ally McCoist on commentary, Roy Keane in the TV studio, and Rapha in the gleaming yellow of a Brazil shirt.

Raphinha probably didn’t know about ITV’s choice of broadcasters, but I’m not going to rule it out. Brazil winger Antony has already complained about the air-con in Qatar’s stadiums making the players ill; perhaps it has been contaminated by the hot air of Keane’s punditry. Or maybe Raphinha could hear faint echoes of McCoist chuckling from the gantry, and was taken back to nights at Elland Road when Ally was commentating for Amazon Prime and playing football felt joyous.

I was only half-watching Brazil’s knockout tie with South Korea at the North Taproom in Leeds, but I knew when to look up at the screen because McCoist was purring in delight and Raphinha was inevitably dribbling past another defender. Brazil had failed to score in the first half of their opening three matches at the World Cup; with Rapha back in the groove, they’d scored four before half-time.

They celebrated each goal by dancing like pigeons in homage to a pop song by Os Perseguidores. After the third, a piss-taking gem of pure joga bonito, Richarlison invited manager Tite to the dance floor. Up in ITV’s studio, Keane was grumbling about disrespect, looking like Father Christmas after Mrs Claus has asked for a divorce. In commentary, McCoist was imploring Tite to get practising so he can dance even better next time. My suspicions that Brazil must have been tipped off about Keane’s presence were only aroused by Tite subbing on his third-choice goalkeeper for the final ten minutes, a tactical change that should have been announced by the fourth official discarding his electronics board and flicking Vs at the old grump.

Click to buy

New: our 2023 charity calendar

Filled with pictures of your favourite Leeds players, by your favourite TSB artists, with all profits going to the Leeds Cancer Centre and the Leeds Breast Cancer Awareness Group.

He may no longer belong to us, but Raphinha’s ascent to Brazil stardom remains part of his Leeds United storyline. He made his international debut on the defining night of Brazil’s qualification campaign. Losing 1-0 at Venezuela, Tite brought on Rapha at half-time. As Globo Esporte noted: ‘The first half of Venezuela 1-3 Brazil was one of the worst in Tite’s trajectory in the Brazilian team. Everything was missing.’ Raphinha came on and set up two goals — I counted five — and was involved in a third as Brazil rediscovered the verve they’re famous for. The secret, said Rapha afterwards, was “Tite asked me to do what I did with Leeds.”

“I believe that the main contribution from Raphinha and these other young players so far has been the joy that they have brought back to the team,” former Brazil striker Grafite told BBC Sport. Alongside Vinicius Jr, Richarlison, Rodrygo, Antony and Grabriel Martinelli, Raphinha’s gang have been dubbed by Tite the “perninhas rapidas” — the fast little legs.

Those legs have taken the burden away from Neymar. Rather than Neymar carrying the team, the perinhas rapidas are carrying Neymar, freeing him to become Brazil’s playmaker. Raphinha made 71 sprints against South Korea, Neymar only 29. ‘Neymar doesn’t need to cross into the box and run to head it in,’ wrote Globo Esporte. ‘Vini, Raphinha and Richarlison are doing that for him.’

Rapha created the opener for Vinicius by dancing past three players, leaving McCoist cooing, “That’s just magic.” It was the Raphinha that has been lost in Barcelona. Suddenly he’d regained the strut of a pigeon in the rafters of Kirkgate Market. Back to his old self, he came out for the second half not looking happy his team were winning 4-0, but pissed off he hadn’t scored yet. His mates tried to get him his goal, but it was Rapha who created his best chance for himself, toying with his opponents inside the penalty area only for goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu to keep his shot out of the bottom corner.

Who cares if Raphinha plays for Barcelona now? Like Kalvin Phillips at Manchester City, the lack of appreciation from his new employers makes me feel that, deep down, his brilliance belongs at Elland Road. I don’t want that talent to go to waste — I want him to win the World Cup. As Rapha said after winning his first Brazil cap, the trick is to keep doing what he did for Leeds. ⬢