The last 24 hours would be among the most unforgettable moments in the life of the new Barcelona player Vitor Roque. The Brazilian made his debut last night in the match against Las Palmas, and also came close to opening his scoring account at the club, but ultimately was unable to get on the scoresheet.
Now, today he has been officially presented as a FC Barcelona player. The event of his presentation was chaired by the Vice President of the club, Rafa Yuste, and the Sporting Director, Deco, was also present on the occasion.
However, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, the President, Joan Laporta, was absent from this important event. The newspaper reports that Laporta was unable to attend the event because of personal matters, and he was also not present in the match between Barcelona and Las Palmas.
Accoring to SPORT, Yuste took the leading role in the contract signing ceremony in Laporta’s absence, after which Vitor Roque, who was accompanied by his family and his agent, Andre Cury, spoke his first public words on Barcelona ground at Ciutat Esportiva:
“I’ve slept four hours. It’s a dream come true, I’m very happy. Xavi told me to stay calm and see if I could score. Everyone has welcomed me very well, everything has been great.”
Yuste took every measure to ensure Roque felt at home in his new surroundings, and welcomed him in his native language:
“Bem-vindo Vitor, on behalf of the president and the board, a new Brazilian who joined our club just a few days ago.”
“Brazilians, beyond their quality, bring something more to this club. Vitor Roque always has a smile, a positive attitude. I’m very happy that his father and his agent are here.”
Lastly, Yuste also highlighted the role that Deco had played in Roque’s signing:
“Deco knows the international market very well, the negotiation, and the idea of bringing Vitor Roque is his.”
Now that all the formalities of Roque’s arrival at Barcelona have been done with, the Brazilian will be looking to adapt quickly at his new club. Xavi will also be hoping Roque can make his adjustments as soon as possible, and start contributing to the team’s attack in the decisive months ahead.
