Leeds fans will hate what Rio Ferdinand and Raphinha did after Barcelona win vs Real Madrid
Raphinha has been excellent since joining Barcelona in July 2022.
Raphinha left Leeds for a fee of £55million after spending two successful years at Elland Road.
Leeds fans still hold Raphinha in extremely high regard after scoring 11 goals and helping them secure survival in the 2021-2022 campaign.
He finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or rankings for 2025 and has become one of the most dangerous wingers in world football.
After another memorable performance against Real Madrid on Sunday, Leeds fans won’t be pleased to see the 29-year-old engaging in a friendly conversation with Rio Ferdinand.
Rio Ferdinand and Raphinha catch up after Barcelona beat real Madrid
Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final, with the Brazilian scoring twice to secure his ninth trophy in Spain.
After the match, Raphinha embraced Ferdinand, and the pair had a discussion on the side of the pitch.
Ferdinand joined Man United from Leeds in a £30m move in July 2002, and it is one of the most controversial transfers in the club’s history.
To this day, supporters are still angry at him for making the switch to their long-standing rivals, and there is clearly no love lost.
The fact that Raphinha appears to be so friendly with the England defender certainly won’t go down well with the fans at all.
Ferdinand previously ignored Leeds live on air, and although he questions why he is hated by the fanbase, his actions in recent years prove that he has no respect for the Whites.
What has Rio Ferdinand said about his time at Leeds in recent years?
Ferdinand has publicly said that his transfer helped prevent Leeds from going under financially, something he felt would counter some of the criticism at the time.
Speaking on the FilthyFellas Podcast on 11 August 2025, he said: “I ducked out, mate. You think I’m going to stay through that? No chance. I saved Leeds.”
He also told BBC News on 13 December 2023: “About six months to a year ago, I did a game, and the Leeds away fans were just in front of me.
“I swear to you, I was taken aback by how upset and angry they still are with me. This transfer was over 20 years ago, and I’m thinking, ‘are you still upset about this?'”
| Stat | Leeds |
| Appearances | 73 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Achievements | Premier League Team of the Season in 2001-02 |
While the £30m fee was astronomical at the time, it’s clear that Leeds supporters haven’t taken those comments lightly, especially given the fact that he jumped ship to their biggest rivals at the time.
As for Raphinha, his performances in Leeds shirt during 2021-22 kept the side in the top flight for another year, and fans will never forget that.
However, he needs to be careful when associating himself with Ferdinand, a man that has been Leeds’ villain for the past 24 years.