García Plaza: “That Raphinha isn’t nominated for the Ballon d’Or is a lie”

Sevilla went into the break after a 1-3 defeat against Barcelona at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, and Luis García Plaza focused on his team’s effort. The coach said the first part showed ambition and that his side managed to compete, even if Barcelona’s physical intensity and accuracy turned the match.

First half and context

As MARCA reports, García Plaza argued that the score didn’t fully reflect the game’s opening: “We could have been 2-1 up.” He added that after that phase, Barcelona pressured them heavily and demanded “an enormous” physical effort, which left Sevilla fading and the visitors “getting it right.” Still, he insisted there were no reproaches for his players, praising how they made the first-time the Barça “felt in danger.”

A dig at the Ballon d’Or

The most pointed comments came when discussing Raphinha. García Plaza said he couldn’t believe the forward isn’t even nominated: “He’s not nominated for the Ballon d’Or, that’s the lie.” For the Sevilla coach, Raphinha is a complete and “completely” decisive player—part of why, in his view, he doesn’t trust those awards: “He does everything.” He also underlined that what matters most is Sevilla’s performance: “We had to bring out Barcelona’s best version to beat us.”

On a stoppage involving Christensen, he played it down: “Nothing to say… they called it and that’s it.” Finally, he mentioned the connection with the fans and said they have already beaten Atlético and Barcelona in seven matches, pointing to a strong second half vs Atlético and a very good first half against Barça. He now expects some rest before two away games, with one at the Bernabéu.