If there was a player who had an unfortunate start at FC Barcelona, it was Vitor Roque. The 19-year-old forward arrived at the Blaugrana squad last winter transfer window from Athletico Paranaense with the significant responsibility of being, in theory, the one to ignite the spark in a Culé attacking front that, at that moment, was not at its best. Considering the investment made in him, 30 million euros, during a period of clear economic austerity, it was quite common to expect a lot from him despite his youth.
However, after that half of the 2023/24 season, 'Tigrinho's' adventure has not unfolded as expected, quite the opposite. The Timóteo native, under the guidance of Xavi Hernández, participated in just a total of 16 matches, in which he could only score two goals and left a series of doubts, exacerbated by the lack of a necessary adaptation period to the Catalan team's playing systems and the overall pace of European football. This half-season only served to sow doubts about whether the forward had a future at the Barcelona club.
Nevertheless, with the departure of the Egarense coach at the end of the 2023/24 season, the forward saw his hopes renewed for a chance at Barcelona, now under the direction of Hansi Flick. Despite this, things didn't go so well with the German coach either, to the extent that after a discreet performance in the preseason, combined with the outstanding emergence of Pau Víctor as a viable alternative in the substitute striker position, the team definitively decided to seek an exit for him that was initially attempted through a transfer but ended up being finalized through a loan.
Vitor Roque's Frustration in His Farewell from FC Barcelona
His new destination? Real Betis under Manuel Pellegrini. In fact, he has already assimilated into the dynamics of the Betis team, where, at least initially, he is seen with a smile of relief after tense times at Can Barça. According to 'Mundo Deportivo', in his last training session as a Culé, Roque did not complete the practice, why? Eventually, he burst out in frustration, leaving the training day in tears after receiving support from his former coach Hansi Flick and several of his now former teammates.
It will now be interesting to see how he fares in a perhaps less media-driven environment like that of the Andalusian team, where he will likely have more opportunities to play and develop as a player. Who knows, perhaps he will return to Barcelona in the future as a more complete and seasoned footballer, bearing in mind that, in theory, he should return to the Blaugrana squad in 2025, provided the 'Verdiblancos' do not exercise their purchase option or their second year of loan as stipulated in his contract.