Coritiba

Rafinha debuted in professional level at Coritiba in 2003, with the manager Antonio Lopes. Although he was only 17 years old, he highlighted during the campaign that culminated in the title of the Championship of Parana.
Still holding the Brazilian Championship, Rafinha helped Coritiba to have an excellent year, achieving a classification for Copa Libertadores, after 18 years of absence of the club from the main competition of South America.
The following year, Coritiba did not manage to make a good participation in the tournament, and was eliminated in the group stage. However, in the Championship of Parana, the club has made great campaign and won the title by the second time in a row. Absolute, Rafinha won a place among the idols of the crowd of Coritiba. In the Brazilian Championship, the team did an irregular campaign and ends at 12th position.
In 2005 Rafinha reached his peak in the shirt of Cortiba. His great performances led him to the national squad under-20, and in August, Schalke 04 bought the footballer. It was the biggest transaction in the history of Coritiba.

Schalke 04

The offensive style of Rafinha could be a problem on his arrival in Germany, where the side defenders are concerned about the mark at first. Furthermore, the Brazilian player was the shortest one of the squad. But, in 2005, Rafinha has become part of the starting 11.
Coldness and the German language were the two major challenges in adapting to the new country. Even so, Rafinha became one of the favorites of fans of Schalke 04.
But not everything was fine. The biggest disappointment was losing Bundesliga title for Stuttgart in 2007 in the last round. In the following season, Schalke has done a great campaign in UEFA Champions League, being eliminated in quarter-final, against Barcelona.