Leandro Paredes takes a shot at Raphinha: the comment that's heating up the atmosphere

In recent hours, Leandro Paredes has once again referred to Raphinha’s controversial provocation and how it motivated the Roma squad to make history. The Argentine midfielder, in an interview with AFA Play, revealed how the Barcelona forward’s gesture was perceived as a disrespect that brought the team even closer together.

"As soon as we saw it, we decided to take it as motivation. We don’t like that, being disrespected like that. So, the first person who saw it always shares it with the group, and with everything that happened, to put on the performance we did was spectacular," Paredes admitted, not hiding his frustration over the incident.

Raphinha’s comment, which many saw as a provocation, had the opposite effect to what the Brazilian intended. Instead of demotivating the team, it acted as fuel for a Roma side that, according to Paredes, found strength from within to pull off a memorable win.

The atmosphere in the dressing room, after the incident, became charged with tension and energy, and Paredes made it clear that the team channeled that anger in a positive way. "The attitude of the squad was key, because we weren’t going to let them treat us like that. We came together even more," the midfielder added.

The spark that ignited motivation

Although the provocation wasn’t directly aimed at the Roma players, Raphinha’s comment triggered a reaction that went beyond the pitch. Paredes and his teammates showed that sometimes, what seems like a disrespect can turn into the driving force behind a great achievement.

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