Flick: Renewing Rafinha's contract is the best move for Barcelona

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick confirmed that renewing Brazilian midfielder Rafinha's contract is the ideal move for the club at this time, emphasizing the player's importance to the team and his leadership role in the dressing room. Flick's comments came after Barcelona secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium in the seventh round of La Liga. Rafinha shone in the match, continuing his impressive form for the Catalan side, where he has also been deployed as a center forward. Flick said of Rafinha's performance: "His level is extremely high, and we know his quality very well. He's a top-class player. Lamine Yamal provided the final pass, and he scored. Playing him as a center forward was a decision we made as a coaching staff, and he's happy playing in the number 9 position." The Barcelona coach added: "Renewing Rafinha's contract is the best move for the club. Rafinha is the ideal leader for this team and for this club. His season has been amazing, and he was much better in the second half." Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, announced on Saturday morning that the club had reached an agreement with Rafinha to extend his contract until 2030, ensuring the Brazilian midfielder will continue his career with the Catalan club. Flick spoke about the match against Sevilla, saying, "It was a difficult game, especially in the first half, and we didn't play at the level we wanted." Regarding the injury to Danish player Andreas Christensen, Flick explained, "He will be out for several weeks. It's a muscular injury, and he will undergo tests on Sunday." The German coach also addressed the absence of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, explaining, "This is a decision I made specifically for this match. It's the most difficult decision I've had to make at the moment. It's not easy, but it's my job."