While Marcelo Bielsa's time in charge at Leeds United may have come to a sorry end, the Argentine remains a truly beloved figure among the Elland Road faithful following what was a remarkable three-and-a-half-year tenure.
The enigmatic and unique coach was initially handed the reins back in the summer of 2018, inheriting a side and a club that appeared to be going nowhere fast having finished in 13th place the year prior under Paul Heckingbottom.
A manager with a wealth of experience under his belt at the elite level – following prior stints at the likes of Marseille and Lazio – there was likely a sense of shock that the Rosario-born maverick had agreed to drop into England's second tier, particularly with the Whites have gone more than a decade without Premier League football at the time.
What happened next was simply remarkable, as Bielsa's high-octane and breathless style of play helped to steer the Yorkshire giants back into the promised land at the second attempt in 2019/20, having finished just outside the automatic promotion spots the year prior.
Although a solid first season in the top tier was followed by a simply disastrous start to the 2021/22 campaign – with the club hierarchy wielding the axe after notable hefty defeats against the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – that eventual, abrupt dismissal should not sour what was a golden period in Leeds' modern era.
Not only was Bielsa evidently a masterful, gifted tactician, but the 68-year-old also had a keen eye for spotting a player, having particularly hit the jackpot with the signing of Brazilian sensation, Raphinha.
Why did Leeds sign Raphinha?
Despite the success that the 5 foot 9 trickster would go on to achieve in English football, the winger still represented something of a gamble as far as Bielsa was concerned initially due to his lack of prior Premier League experience.
After starting life on the books at Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes, a standout 2017/18 season in which he plundered 18 goals earned a move to Lisbon outfit, Sporting CP – where he would score nine goals and register five assists in 41 games in all competitions.
A subsequent move to Ligue 1 side, Rennes, also proved fruitful as the Porto Alegre-born speedster contributed 15 goals and assists in 36 outings during what proved to be his solitary season in France.
That sparkling form had seemingly piqued the interest of those at Elland Road, with the wideman having been identified by Bielsa as the figure to provide that extra sprinkling of star quality to his newly-promoted side.
How much did Leeds pay for Raphinha?
On reflection, it appears that Victor Orta and co were able to pull off an absolute steal by signing Raphinha for what proved to be a bargain price of just £17m – less than half what the club splashed out on their relatively unproven club-record signing, Georginio Rutter, earlier this year.
At the time, the suggestion was that the new addition could prove something of a 'game-changing' signing due to his similarity to Leeds legend Pablo Hernandez in an attacking sense, albeit while offering the benefit of an increased defensive contribution – as per London-based investment company Carteret Analytics, via the BBC.
With Hernandez – who contributed 18 goals and assists during the club's promotion-winning campaign – having been the undoubted talisman in the second tier, Raphinha swiftly assumed that mantle in the Premier League, with the Elland Road faithful having a new hero to worship.
How many goals did Raphinha score for Leeds?
Hailed as a "magician" by teammate Daniel James, the fleet-footed wizard certainly did conjure up some "magic" during his two-year stay in Yorkshire, as per pundit Noel Whelan – who went on to add:
“Raphinha is fantastic on the ball, great on the eye and can produce moments of magic that other players simply can’t. But what I really like is his work out of possession. He is not afraid to really work hard, track back and double-up with the full-back. It is an attribute you sometimes don’t get with technically talented players. They do one side of it but not the other. That is not the case with Raphinha though."
That "relentless" nature – as described by Whelan – combined with his quality on the ball made for a perfect cocktail of devastating brilliance, evidenced by the fact that he chipped in with 17 goals and 12 assists from just 67 games in all competitions prior to his eventual departure last summer, memorably scoring in the win over Brentford on the final day of the 2021/22 season to help clinch survival.
The sight of the 18-cap Brazil international celebrating with the away support in west London following that 2-1 win was simply joyous, with that an indication of a player who had relished the adulation he had received during the prior 24 months – despite his later desire to depart.
How much did Leeds sell Raphinha for?
In a summer that saw Bielsa's successor Jesse Marsch lose Kalvin Phillips, another Leeds mainstay departed following Raphinha's move to Barcelona, with the mesmeric gem fending off interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in order to secure a dream move to Camp Nou.
While that raft of suitors didn't quite lead to the Whites raking in a truly eye-watering sum, the club were still able to turn in a handsome profit after receiving a £55m offer from the La Liga giants.
In relation to his initial £17m transfer fee, that represented an increase of 223% – hardly something to be sniffed at at a time when Leeds have not exactly struck gold in the transfer market, notably losing Rodrigo for just £3m following last season's relegation.
36 games
25 starts
7 goals
7 assists
17 big chances created
1.6 key passes per game
7.27 average match rating
On the pitch, of course, the loss of Raphinha – who has since provided 25 goals and assists in just 54 outings at Camp Nou – was a real blow as the club's fortunes swiftly tumbled, yet financially his signing and subsequent sale represents a truly astute piece of business.
