Brazilian winger Raphinha has revealed that he was close to accepting a call-up to the Italian national team before ultimately choosing to represent Brazil.
In an interview with journalist Isabela Pagliari, Raphinha disclosed that he was on the verge of joining Italy’s Euro 2020-winning squad.
“I was close to accepting the Italian national team call!” he said. “I was set to go to the Euro they won in 2020. Everything was nearly finalized, but luckily, my passport didn’t come through in time.”
Raphinha explained that Italy’s national team had actively pursued him during that period, with Jorginho regularly calling him. The Italian setup had a compelling project for him, which piqued his interest.
“Jorginho used to call me all the time, and the Italian staff had an amazing plan for me, something that really caught my attention,” he added.
However, despite the strong interest from Italy, Raphinha held onto a small hope of representing Brazil. “Deep down, I still had that one percent chance of wearing the Brazil shirt. And luckily, my Italian passport didn’t arrive in time!” he said.
Raphinha went on to fulfill his dream of playing for Brazil at the international level, a path he almost missed.