Rafinha says he wants to stay at Bayern Munich beyond this season

Rafinha had one of his best outings of the season for Bayern Munich in the 0-0 draw with Sevilla in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite the underwhelming result, Bayern advanced to the semi-finals 2-1 on aggregate, and Rafinha’s performance at left back was nothing short of excellent.

Battling what appeared to be a collarbone injury just before the halftime break, the Brazilian was arguably Bayern’s best player on the pitch, especially considering how defensively Bayern were forced to play for large portions of the match.

In an interview with Kicker, the 32-year-old remained humble when he was praised for his standout performance, saying, “Of course I am happy: we [Bayern Munich] qualified.”

Rafinha also spoke about his future with the club and insisted that he would love to stay at Bayern, despite speculation earlier in the season that he had plans to return to his native Brazil. According to Rafinha himself, he has no intention of going anywhere soon:

Everyone knows I love this club. It still works with us. I’m happy here. The club has done a lot for me, and I’ve done a lot for it, too. I hope that we’ll have a happy ending. Everyone knows that I want to stay at Bayern. I’ve been at Bayern for seven years now. There are twenty players, and every year you say the same thing: “Rafinha’s about to transfer, Rafinha’s going to another club.” That’s not my thing; the media says that.

Rafinha’s current contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Despite being lower in the pecking order behind David Alaba and Joshua Kimmich, Rafinha insists that he’s a “worker” and a “fighter,” who’ll do whatever is asked of him:

Look, I’ve been with Bayern for seven years now. My work is always the same. Some people don’t call my name, but that’s not a problem. I’m a worker, a fighter.

Although Bayern usually only offer one-year extensions to players over 30 years of age, Rafinha is hoping to receive a two-year extension and feels that his pedigree with the club should come into consideration. Whatever happens, he is not worried, but ready to work.

I have my contract here; I always work very hard. The people in the club are happy with me. They want to extend my contract. I’m doing my job. I’m not worried. When the coach needs me—Jupp, Pep, Carlo, and now Jupp again—I’m always there and always ready.