Brazilian national team footballer Raphinha has made interesting statements about the past. Sport24.az reports that the winger, who plays for Barcelona, said that there was a possibility of playing for the Italian national team in 2020.
The 28-year-old player said that he could not play for the European representative due to passport issues:
"I was very close to accepting the invitation of the Italian national team. I was going to the European Championship, which they won in 2020. I was actually ready to go. My passport just didn't arrive. At that time, the Italian Football Federation was contacting me. Jorginho (member of the Italian national team) also called me often. The Italian national team had a great project related to me. It really caught my attention. At the same time, I had hope that I would receive an invitation to the Brazilian national team. Fortunately, my Italian passport was not ready in time."
It should be noted that Raphinha made his debut in the Brazilian national team in 2021.