Barcelona star Raphinha admits he was close to committing his international future to Italy.
Now arguably Brazil's most important player, Raphinha concedes things could've been very different.
Advertisement
Advertisement
He revealed on Brazilian journalist Isabela Pagliari's YouTube channel: "I should have been part of the team that won the 2020 European Championship.
"Practically everything was ready, but luckily the passport didn't arrive in time! The Italian national team always called me, especially (Arsenal midfielder) Jorginho. The staff had a fantastic project for me, they really impressed me."
Raphinha added, "At the same time, deep down, I had that one percent hope of being able to wear the Brazil shirt again. And then I did it, luckily my passport never arrived on time."