Vitor Roque Struggles with Adaptation at Barcelona
Vitor Roque’s arrival at Barcelona was met with high expectations, but the Brazilian forward has yet to make a significant impact at the club. Three weeks after being presented as the star signing for Barcelona, Roque continues to struggle with the adaptation process, causing him to fall short of earning the full trust of his coach, Xavi Hernández.
Initially expected to compete for a position with Robert Lewandowski, Roque finds himself in competition with 17-year-old youth player Marc Guiu, who received playing time in Barcelona’s recent loss to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey.
Xavi has been vocal about Roque’s first experience in Europe, highlighting the forward’s lack of playing time due to an ankle injury that left him unemployed for two months. In the recent loss against Athletic Club, Barcelona’s coach opted to replace Lewandowski with Ferran as a center forward, followed by Guiu and finally Ronald Araujo, leaving Roque on the bench.
Speaking about Roque’s development, Xavi emphasized the need for caution when handling young players and expressed his belief in Roque’s potential to contribute significantly to the team.
Despite the ongoing struggle, Roque has only played four games since joining Barcelona, with the team being eliminated in the Copa del Rey by Athletic Bilbao.
Overall, the forward’s adaptation process continues to be a point of concern for Xavi and Barcelona as they look to navigate the challenges of the current season.