40 million euros – that's the amount FC Barcelona paid to Brazilian Athletico Paranaense to sign Vitor Roque. Even before he turned 18, the striker was a true revelation in the local league. The Catalans decided to bring him to the club prematurely. The player was supposed to move to the Spanish team this summer, but the transfer finally took place in January. At the time, it was thought that Roque would soon become “Lewandowski's successor”. What went wrong?
Crying at Barcelona training. Vitor Roque couldn't take it anymore
Xavi, who led the team last season, was reluctant to give the young Brazilian a chance to play from the start. He usually let him onto the pitch towards the end of matches, in which Vitor Roque showed nothing special. Quite the opposite was the case. The Spanish coach often pointed out his huge deficiencies in terms of tactics and theoretical preparation for matches. Between the words, Xavi said directly that the striker was not yet ready to play in La Liga, and signing him at this stage of development was simply too early.
This meant that Roque spent only 353 minutes on the pitch. During this time, he managed to score twice. One thing is certain – he is a great talent. After all, it was no accident that Barcelona paid such a horrendous sum for him, in proportion to his age. Despite this, the Brazilian was sometimes a “headless rider” who, when put under pressure to achieve results, Xavi could not develop at a natural pace.
The chance for the 19-year-old was the arrival of Hansi Flick. The footballer even decided to shorten his vacation to return to the club's headquarters and show the German that he could count on him. In the meantime, the new coach also decided that he would not need Vitor Roque this season. The Brazilian striker was put against the wall. He felt betrayed by Barcelona, which was sometimes emphasized in the media by people from his circle. Earlier, even his agent had indicated that the club was not talking to his player about the future. The situation was becoming increasingly tense. In the end, both parties decided that a one-year loan to Betis Sevilla would be the best option.
A few days ago, during the last training session under Flick, Roque simply could not take it anymore. “Mundo Deportivo” reported that halfway through the training session, the 19-year-old suddenly left the pitch with tears in his eyes. At that moment, all the pressure, anger, frustration and resentment towards Barcelona took over. The situation was so serious that the young striker received support from the coach and the entire team. “After hugging Flick and showing encouragement from his teammates, he went to the locker room. It was the final sign that Roque was overwhelmed,” write the Spanish journalists. Now the Brazilian is focused on proving his worth in his new team. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski is currently competing with Pau Victor, who was brought in from Girona.