Raphinha Scores Two Consecutive Hat-Tricks Yet Snubbed by Ballon d'Or Nominations! Sevilla Boss Fury: Selection is an Absolute Joke

After the La Liga clash between Barcelona and Sevilla, Sevilla head coach Luis Garcia publicly voiced his displeasure, stating that Raphinha's exclusion from this season's Ballon d'Or nominee list is completely unacceptable. In Saturday's local time showdown at the Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, Sevilla fell 1-3 to Barcelona, and Garcia was right there to witness the Brazilian attacker deliver another spectacular hat-trick performance.

Prior to this match, Raphinha had just completed a consecutive hat-trick in a midweek away fixture against Santander Sport. This time, playing from home, the Brazilian international was instrumental behind Barcelona's perfect seven-game winning start in La Liga. Since Flick reassigned him to the #9 position this summer, he has scored 12 league goals and 14 across all competitions.

However, he was nowhere to be found in the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist announced earlier this month. The selection results for football's most prestigious individual award have sparked widespread controversy. "He wasn't even nominated — this is absolutely absurd," Garcia said without reservation at the post-match press conference. "He has the ability to swing matches on his own, and that's exactly why I've always been skeptical about these awards. He has already proven everything with his performances."

In terms of the match itself, Sevilla actually held out some early promise — Fofana's goal gave them the lead, briefly making them the first team this season to take points off the league champions. However, much like many opponents over the past month, Sevilla failed to effectively contain Raphinha's attacking threat. The Brazilian equalized before halftime and added two more in the second half, helping Barcelona complete the turnaround.

Despite the defeat, Garcia commended his players' performance. "Barcelona showed top-class quality, but I'd rather talk about Sevilla's performance," he added. "Barcelona had to bring their best today to beat us, and I'm proud of my players."

Raphinha's recent stellar form stems from the tactical adjustments made by head coach Flick. After Lewandowski departed in the summer, Barcelona failed to secure Julian Alvarez, so Flick decided to promote Raphinha to the #9 role. This hat-trick came just hours after Barcelona sporting director Deco announced a contract extension for Raphinha through 2030 — his previous contract was set to expire in 2028. "Extending Raphinha's contract was the best move for the club," Flick stated. "Seeing the connection between him and the fans, between him and the team... he is a leader. His performances this season have been extraordinary, and today in the second half was particularly stunning. We know his quality, we're very happy for him, and he has given us so much. Placing him in the center is the coaching staff's decision, but looking at the data from these eight matches, he's also been quite willing to play the #9 role."

This victory extended Barcelona's all-competition winning streak to eight games, after which the team will have a break during the international window. However, Flick still had reservations about the match against Sevilla. "It was a tough match, especially the first half," he admitted. "We lost the ball too easily too many times, which is not our usual standard." After this match, Barcelona sit top of the standings by six points, while second-placed Real Madrid will face local rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday local time. Barcelona's next match is scheduled for October 10 against Getafe.

Additionally, there were other noteworthy notes: Deco confirmed that Barcelona had completed contract extensions with Raphinha, Marc Bernal, and Xavi Esparte; Mourinho refused to simply compare Real Madrid with Barcelona, emphasizing that La Liga is "a marathon"; and young winger Yamal admitted he has experienced "thousands" of instances of racism.