Raphinha says Nico Williams Barca shirts were 'disrespectful'

Barcelona fans embracing the club's reported interest in Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams didn't sit well with Raphinha.

The Brazilian winger thought it was "disrespectful" after a picture of a fan wearing a Barcelona shirt with his No. 11 and Williams' name plastered on the back went viral last summer.

"I saw those (posts) with the shirt on Instagram," he told reporters Tuesday, according to Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN. "I thought it was a joke in bad taste, and it was disrespectful. People need to respect the players that are here. We're here giving our best and fighting for the club. To see a photo like that wasn't very nice for me. I took it as a lack of respect.

"Of course, people are free to do what they want, but I did feel a little hurt in that moment."

Barcelona were heavily linked with Williams last summer after the 22-year-old's impressive Euro 2024 campaign with winner Spain. Williams excited fans with his pace and creativity on the left wing for La Roja, ending the tournament with two goals and one assist in six games.

Raphinha's future at Barcelona was in doubt amid speculation, but the summer ended with Williams staying at Bilbao.

The inaction has paid off for Barcelona, as Raphinha responded by opening the season with six goals and six assists in 12 games in all competitions, while Williams has one goal and two assists in 12 games.

However, Raphina said he didn't use it to motivate him for this season.

"It wasn't an added motivator to start the season in the way I did," he said. "I was anxious to give my best for the club. Seeing how many years of my contract I have here (until 2027), it was a crucial point. I started the season knowing to play here, I have to adapt to different positions and a different style of play.

"In the past, I gave 100%. Now I give 200%, and I'm always willing to do that for this club. (It has been) part mental and part tactical, but also it's very important for me to have the confidence of the coach and my teammates. My mentality at the beginning of the season was different from other years - I knew I had to adapt to a new position to play here."