Barca’s New Gem Reveals Dressing Room Secrets: How Raphinha and Lamine Treat Him.. and the Three Stars Closest to Him

A new account from inside Barcelona’s dressing room has revealed the other side of the team’s stars, away from the cameras and the pitch, after one of the newest faces at the Catalan club decided to speak openly about how Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and the rest of the stars treat him.

The account went beyond first impressions. It revealed a striking gesture from the team captain towards the new arrival, as well as the names of the three players who have become closest to him in the squad, for a reason few would have guessed.

The man behind the comments is Jesse Bisiwu, the 18-year-old Belgian winger and one of the long-term bets of the sporting department led by Deco. He spoke during Belgium’s Under-21 camp about his first months at Barcelona, according to Spanish outlet Sport.

In an interview with Belgian regional broadcaster ROBtv, Bisiwu admitted that it is a shock at first to share your daily routine with players like Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, but said that feeling disappears quickly once you walk through the dressing room door: “Football stars are also normal and very kind guys.”

What surprised the Belgian most since his arrival was how naturally everyone welcomed him. He singled out Raphinha, who has been one of his reference points since his first days at the club and takes an interest in how he is handling the change.

Speaking about Barcelona’s captain, Bisiwu said: “As captain, Raphinha has to know how I am and how I feel at the club.”

But there are three players who have become especially important to Bisiwu: Karim Adeyemi, Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kounde. “Right now I am mostly with them,” he said.

The main reason is language. The youngster is still learning Spanish and gets on better in English with those three players.

His call-up to Belgium’s Under-21 side represents another step forward for a player who continues to develop at Barcelona under the watchful eye of Hansi Flick, although he moves between the first team and Barca Atletic.

Bisiwu recently revealed the club’s plan for him in another interview: “Barca’s project with me is a five-year one.”