Once pre-season is done and dusted, players eagerly turn their attention to domestic action. A new season, a fresh chance to impress. The start of what could be a campaign of ultimate glory.So, with that said, the worst start that a player can make to a season is receiving a red card on the opening night. Unfortunately for Barcelona and Raphina, that’s exactly what happened against Getafe.The Brazilian wasn’t the only one guilty of letting tensions reach boiling point, before they spilt over, though, with manager Xavi also seeing red, as well as Getafe striker Jaime Mata.In a fiery affair to get the season underway, it was Getafe who will be the happier of the two sides, holding out for a point in a frustrating stalemate for Barcelona.Without any goals to watch, it’s Raphinha who stole the headlines, with his UFC-style elbow rightfully resulting in his dismissal.
What did Raphinha do to get a red card vs Getafe
Attempting to make a run off the ball, Raphinha was expertly marked by Getafe’s Gaston Alvarez, who received a brutal elbow to the back of the head for his troubles, before going down.
The incident was well spotted by the referee, who wasted no time in giving the Barcelona winger his marching orders.
Even so, the Getafe bench were furious and charged out of their seats, out of the technical area, and nearly onto the pitch to vent their anger – perhaps showing why the football now has stricter rules on such behaviour.
The referee wasn’t done with his red cards there, either, handing a second yellow card to Getafe’s Mata to make it 10 men apiece.
Finishing things off, the referee then handed a red card to Barcelona manager Xavi after the Spaniard reacted furiously when Abde Ezzalzouli was brought down.
The La Liga champions also got plenty of attention on Twitter after quite the hilarious blunder, as they first posted in support of Raphinha, before their next Tweet revealed his second off.
The game, itself, was full of strange moments and was perhaps best summed up when Ronald Araujo bizarrely decided to catch the ball instead of controlling it and yet still avoided a yellow card.
As far as opening nights go, it doesn’t get much more disjointed than Barcelona vs Getafe.
What is the market value of Raphinha?
Joining Barcelona for a reported £55m from Leeds United last summer, Raphinha has since gone on to show glimpses of what he’s capable of at the Nou Camp, scoring 10 goals, and assisting a further 12 in all competitions for the club.
That said, his valuation has, in fact, decreased in the year that he has been in La Liga. According to Transfermarkt, the winger is currently worth €60m (£52m), meaning that his value has gone down by £3m since Barcelona splashed out to secure his signature in 2022.
Meanwhile, Raphinha reportedly earns a staggering £199k per week at the Spanish giants, which is a hefty figure for a player who hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts this season.
From the Brazilian’s perspective, he will hope to bounce back from his sending-off in style when he returns to prove once and for all that he belongs in a Barcelona shirt.