Labelled as ‘Too Skinny’: Raphinha’s Story of Rejection & Resilience

Despite not having a rags-to-riches tale like some Brazilian footballers, Raphinha, the son of Maninho Belloli, faced numerous childhood setbacks on his path to becoming a professional footballer. 

These setbacks stemmed from being repeatedly rejected by a major Brazilian club due to his slender build. Sport Club Internacional in Porto Alegre turned him down three times, yet Raphinha persisted, tirelessly pleading his case.

Even his agent cited examples like Lionel Messi to argue that physical stature doesn’t determine talent, but his appeals were ignored. Coming from a humble Brazilian community where sports, exemplified by figures like Ronaldinho, offer paths to success, Raphinha remained determined. Now, let’s delve into Raphinha’s untold story, exploring his family background and his journey of resilience that propelled him to footballing success today.

Preamble:

Embark on the journey of Raphinha, born Raphael Dias Belloli, whose path from the streets of Porto Alegre to the grand stages of Leeds United and FC Barcelona is filled with determination, skill, and the love of a football-centric family. Raised by Mr. and Mrs.

Maninho Belloli, Raphinha’s early life was marked by challenges that forged his character and honed his abilities, making him one of the most exciting talents in modern football. This story highlights his family life, personal aspirations, and the evolution of a player destined for greatness.

To give you a flavour of the engaging nature of this Bio, here is a pictorial summary of his life trajectory. No doubt, this Brazilian Baller has truly come a long way in his footballing Life.

We all remember his time as Marcelo Bielsa’s standout player at Leeds United. Raphinha’s style of play is reminiscent of Angel di Maria‘s. He is celebrated for his speed, skilled dribbling, precise first touch, accurate crosses, and ability to outwit defenders, making him a top-tier right winger.

Despite the recognition Raphinha has garnered over the years, his untold life story remains unfamiliar to many fans. We’ve compiled it here for your enjoyment, driven by our love for the beautiful game. Without delay, let’s dive into his story.

Raphinha Childhood Story:

For Biography starters, he bears the real name; Raphael Dias Belloli. Raphinha is only a nickname.

He was born on the 14th day of December 1996 to his parents, Mr and Mrs Maninho Belloli. The Footballer’s birthplace is the city of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil.

Raphinha’s parents had him at a very young age, and it appears his father is of a different nationality. While his mum is a Brazilian by birth and origin, the footballer’s young-looking Dad, who goes by the name Maninho, is Italian. As observed, the footballer took after his mum’s gene – which appears to be the strongest in his family.

Growing-Up Years:

Raphael Dias Belloli, AKA Raphinha, spent his childhood days in Restinga. This is a humble neighbourhood in Porto Alegre.

It is one of those needy Brazilian communities that have citizens who have won in life through sport.

The former Leeds United footballer is no different. He was among those kids who benefited from such football schemes.

Raphinha’s Family Background:

In Restinga, the Belloli household is famous for producing soccer talents. Our very own Raphinha bears that famous surname.

The Bellolis operate a middle-class family, and they centre their occupation around football.

In that sporting household, Raphinha is the luckiest of his generation. The Brazilian footballer has seen success the most in the beautiful game.

The truth is, there are no rags to riches stories to Raphinha’s Biography except the fact that he suffered a lot to become a footballer. Hence, his household lived and fared as average Brazilian citizens.

Raphinha’s Family Origin:

The footballer comes from the biggest sub-urban neighbourhood of Brazil’s Porto Alegre. Do you remember this city?… it is the home to football legend – Ronaldinho.

Raphinha has his family roots in Restinga, home to 27 different shanty towns. The area has a popular slum area called Ilhota.

Despite coming from that neighbourhood, the footballer wasn’t that poor, as his hard-working Dad never made that happen.

Research has it that Mr Maninho Belloli, alongside members of his family (including Raphinha), have Italian citizenship.

Education and Career Buildup:

Raphinha, like most aspiring football kids, never went through the normal schooling system.

The youngster received a soccer education from Monte Castelo. This is one of the main floodplain teams of the Restinga fields.

Lots of young people who passed through this football school became professionals. However, Raphinha is the most successful of them.

Thanks to the footballing family roots, everyone already knew the quality he possessed.

Even as a boy, Raphinha did feature with adults in floodplain games. Back then, he disgraced big boys with the act of dribbling and scoring goals.

Untold Football Story:

As the youngster grew, he kept his trade of helping his team win almost everything. Back then, Raphinha’s style of play attracted a lot of attention from the football elite.

They would usually come to appreciate upcoming soccer stars from his hometown. Among such were legends like Ronaldinho.

At first, the skinny youngster became scared of meeting the football legend. The first encounter with Ronaldinho was like seeing a superhero from a comic book.

As Raphinha thought everything was going well, little did he know hard times were coming his way.

The Rejection Story:

As a boy, it was Raphinha’s dream to play with the Sport Club Internacional. This is one of the most popular football clubs in Porto Alegre.

Unfortunately, such wishes never came to pass. The big club rejected Raphinha (three times) for being too skinny.

Plea to the club on a possible reason for his re-inclusion was ignored. Even Raphinha’s agent told Internacional to see reasons why the best players in the world are short, sighting Lionel Messi as a case study.

Still, the soccer powerhouse refused to accept poor Raphinha.

Maninho Belloli, his Dad and other family members encouraged him to not give up. In no time, Raphinha summed up courage and set out for another journey.

He travelled for 7 hours (Porto Alegre to Santa Catarina) in search of greener pastures. In his own words,

After the rejection, I left Restinga in Porto Alegre early as early as possible. I faced hours on the bus, having eaten practically nothing.

Road to Fame Story:

At the end of the tunnel came hope. Avaí Futebol Clube, a Brazilian football team in Santa Catarina, opened doors for him.

Their coach cared for the skinny boy. There, Raphinha started a smooth, professional career.

In February 2016, Avaí began having issues with paying wages to their employees. This saw them making the hard decision of selling their precious jewel (Raphinha) to Europe.

Shockingly, Deco – the former Chelsea and FC Barca star helped Raphinha to Europe. He became the agent behind his transfer to the Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães.

Raphinha Bio – Success Story:

Leaving family behind and dealing with a new culture was an exceptional learning experience. The Brazilian could adapt as he endured a meteoric rise in Portugal.

In his first season, Raphinha won the 2017 Vitória Guimarães Breakthrough Player of the Year award.

Around May 2018, the club transferred him to Sporting CP, the home of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s youthful days. In his new abode, Raphinha went from strength to strength.

This was evident as he, along with future Man United captain Bruno Fernandes, played a key role in helping the Green and Whites win both the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga.

Because of the need to have a taste of French culture, Raphinha secured another dream move. This time, to Rennes – a club he helped get to a third-place Ligue 1 finish and a Champions League qualification.

Instead of reaping the fruits of his labour, the next season with Rennes, Raphinha moved on. He followed his heart – this time, out of respect.

Raphinha honoured Leeds United’s call from Marcelo Bielsa. Don’t forget, he is one of Football’s greatest managers.

At the time of writing his Biography, Raphinha’s resilience remains unmatched. He, like Crysencio Summerville, is a big player for Leeds United – one of the most traditional English teams.

The Brazilian’s partnership with goal-scoring Patrick Bamford is excellent. His forward combo with winger – Jack Harrison – has produced many brilliant moments.

Without a doubt, Raphinha has seen success everywhere football has led him. The rest, as we say, is history.

Who is Raphinha’s Girlfriend? … Does he have a Wife or Child?

After becoming famous, it is only normal for fans to expect him to declare the woman of his life.

At the dawn of 2021, we realize the winger is still single but appears ready to mingle privately. This implies that Raphinha might have a girlfriend whom he considers his wife and the mother of his kids.

Personality:

To any footballer, it is not easy to transfer practically four times in an interval of two years.

But why is it so easy for Raphinha to adapt quickly to a foreign country? In this section, we’ll tell you more about his personality off the pitch.

Foremost, the one-time rejected boy draws strength in his humble history from Restinga to the Premier League.

Raphinha adapts because he made a promise to his family to make them live their dreams through him. He never takes failure as an option. In the words of Raphinha;

Every day, I tell myself that it’s not just about my dream. It is that of my parents, siblings and relatives.

These are those who knew what I went through and have been with me from the beginning. I always take the name – Restinga – wherever I go. Lots of people know my name, but NOT my history.

Raphinha Lifestyle Facts:

For the South Americans, happiness comes in waves. Rather than flashing exotic cars, Raphinha prefers to make public his seaside exploits.

With over five years of professional experience (starting from 2015), it is fair to say he is super rich. We estimate Raphinha’s net worth to be around 3 million pounds at the time of writing and 6.5 million euros as of 2023.

Raphinha’s Family Life:

In the household of Maninho Belloli, love flows strong and deep. It sometimes gives them a nostalgic feeling of how they’ve come a long way. Here, Raphinha brings along his dad, mom, and brother to enjoy the sights and sunshine of Catalonia in Barcelona.

In this section, we’ll tell you more facts about his parents and family members. Without further ado, let’s shoot.

About Raphinha’s Father:

Upon seeing the photo of his young Dad, many fans have asked … Is Raphinha adopted? We’ve done out research, and the answer is No! At the time of writing his Bio, Raphinha’s Dad should be in his 40s.

Some of Maninho’s relatives are Italian. He is super proud of Raphinha’s use of football to bless his household. Seeing how both father and son fit, it takes a special someone to be a young Dad like Maninho.

About Raphinha’s Mother:

The former Leeds United footballer would love his wife the most, his father the best and his mum the longest.

She does the work of teaching him how to prepare and face challenges as they happen. Raphinha’s mum is Brazilian by origin, and she shares a close bond with her son.

About Raphinha’s Brother:

According to GloboeSporteGlobo, the footballer has a brother who lives in Brazil. He only gets to see him mostly during holidays. It appears his older brother didn’t take football as an occupation.

About Raphinha’s Relatives:

Let’s start with his grandparents. Raphinha’s grandfather’s name is Osmar, better known as Italiano. He played his football in the 1960s.

His uncle Seu Osmar played at Brazil’s Monte Castelo. He also featured with Cobal, another traditional team from the family’s neighbourhood.

More interesting, another of Raphinha’s uncles, Dudu, played for Inter Milan. This relative is very close to his Dad, Maninho. Both played football together during their childhood days in the Restinga floodplain.

Raphinha Untold Facts:

The Heartache of Monte Castelo, His Boyhood Club

This is the tale of a frustrated academy where Raphinha learnt football. Their agony is that when other football bodies mention clubs involved in Raphinha’s career, they ignore Monte Castelo. According to its spokesperson,

FIFA never recognized us that formed the footballer. Back then, we went to his family home early hours, taking Raphinha by the hand, and put him in a van to go for training. As a child, we got uniform, shoes and balls to make his progression possible.

We are the ones who brought Raphinha up and not others who caught him already polished. We are small training team that need some of his transfer funds.

Comparing his Salary to the Average Brazilian Citizen:

Typically, a person working in Brazil earns approximately 8,560 BRL monthly. Such a citizen needs to work for 18 years and two months to earn Raphinha’s monthly salary.

Raphinha Tattoo Facts:

Saying he has just a few inks is a massive understatement. The Soccer star has a plethora of carefully crafted tattoos. They are nearly everywhere on his arm, legs and back – with each telling a unique story of his history.

Giving back to his Neighbourhood:

While doing that, the Leeds United winger urged children never to give up on their dreams and to run after what is theirs.

This is because the only people who can make their dreams come true are themselves and nobody else.

FIFA Stats:

Raphinha is one of those footballers who enjoys a speed boost in the football simulation video game. The sharp winger shares similar overall ratings with Savinho and Karim Adeyemi. Thanks to his pace and agility, Raphinha is definitely a sure buy for FIFA manager mode lovers.

Raphinha’s Religion:

Mr and Mrs Maninho Belloli raised their son in adherence to Christian religious doctrines. Put simply, Raphinha is a Christian.

EndNote:

The Biography of Raphinha – the Leeds United footballer – teaches us one thing. It takes lots of courage to push through hard times. As observed in our write-up, the Brazilian never abandoned his dreams after facing rejection.

Today, he, alongside Carlos Vinicius (fellow brother), has seen success in their debut season in England. The first Premier League goal for Raphinha (against Everton) came early. It confirms the fact that he can adapt to the toughest league in the world.

It behoves us to commend Raphinha’s family for making him understand that he can’t change what already happened to him. This gave him the power to move on, let go and get over it. Today, his parents, brother and others who stood by him now share in his football glory.

Dear readers, thanks for your time on this memoir. Kindly share in the comment section your thoughts on the Leeds footballer or any observation that doesn’t look good in our write-up. To get a quick summary of Raphinha’s Bio, use our table summary.