It was on 19 September that Rafa, a 29-year-old Benfica striker, 25 times in the A national team, announced in a statement the decision to end his career in the service of the national team.
“Today I informed the coach Fernando Santos and the FPF of my unwillingness to represent the national team. I think this is an honest and fair decision at this point in my career. I ask that the reasons, of a personal nature, be respected by all. I have represented the national teams on 40 occasions, helped to win Euro 2016 and the Nations League and I will always be in the front row supporting the team of all of us. I am sure that the national team will continue to bring joy to the Portuguese, right from the start in the League of Nations and in the 2022 World Cup ”, we read.
And the FPF reacted, even in a statement: “The FPF Board respects the decision taken by Rafa, who has experienced with us the two greatest successes of the national team, Euro 2016 and the League of Nations. Rafa will always be one of us and he deserves our recognition and thanks ”.
The truth is that Rafa is going through a remarkable moment of form in the service of Benfica, seen this Tuesday against Juventus, moreover in a context of many problems in attack of the quinas team, with the certain defeats of Diogo Jota and Neto or cases by Ronaldo and João Félix, far from ideal, so the former Portuguese international Paulo Futre put his finger on the wound on the question that many Portuguese ask themselves: how is it possible for Portugal to go to the Qatar World Cup without Rafa?
In this sense Paulo Futre appealed to the national team coach and to Rafa to sit down and solve the problems they might have. And what do you think? Will Rafa’s decision be irreversible or should Fernando Santos and FPF at least try to convince the player to go back? It is the topic of the moment.
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