Barcelona forward Raphinha has admitted he found it incredibly difficult to focus on football during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Aston Villa. The Brazilian revealed the news of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel's tragic passing had a profound impact on his mental state heading into the game.
The Spanish football community was left reeling on Monday when Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel passed away aged 30 . He suffered a cardiac arrest following an on-pitch collision with Real Oviedo goalkeeper Jesus Owono. While the Royal Spanish Football Federation postponed all domestic fixtures for three days, Champions League matches proceeded as scheduled.
At Camp Nou, the traditional tournament anthem was replaced by a minute of silence before kick-off. Despite the heavy emotional toll, Barcelona secured a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, ending the Premier League side's flawless European start. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring before Raphinha struck twice to seal the win.
Following the final whistle, Raphinha spoke candidly to Movistar about the mental strain of taking to the pitch under such devastating circumstances. The Brazilian was visibly shaken, choosing to focus on the human tragedy rather than his team's dominant performance.
"Wherever [De Miguel] is, I hope he finds his way," Raphinha said. "I want to send his family strength ... and today, not talk about football.
"After I saw the news, I didn't feel good. In the end, he was a fellow football player. This could have happened to any of us. It could have happened to me."
The tragic reality of losing a peer hit Raphinha particularly hard, a sentiment he further explained when discussing the age he shared with the late forward.
"It's very difficult to go out and play a game in these circumstances," Raphinha noted. "He was a player who was the same age as me. Maybe that's why it affected me so much."
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick echoed his star forward's sentiments during his post-match press conference, acknowledging the sorrow felt within the home dressing room.
"What happened in Tenerife, I think it affected him a lot, like everyone of us," Flick stated. "Our deepest condolences to the family, the club, the friends, everyone ... it's a big tragedy. I think it's affected him a lot."
Despite the emotional challenges, Raphinha is enjoying a remarkable campaign in a central attacking role. His brace against Villa took his season tally to 19 goals across all competitions, the highest of any player in Europe's top five leagues. The victory also marked Barcelona's first Champions League clean sheet in 18 matches, lifting them to nine points in the standings.
La Liga's leaders will now look to carry their momentum into Sunday's tough away clash against Atletico Madrid. Following late-October defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, Flick's men have bounced back impressively, pairing their European triumph with a recent 6-1 domestic thrashing of Alaves.
