The latest arrival at FC Barcelona, Vitor Roque, came to the club with huge expectations on his shoulders. He had performed at a very high level with Athletico Paranaense in Brazil and was one of the most in-demand players in the last summer market.
The Catalans were able to sign him despite the greater offers from some other European clubs, mainly because the player himself wanted to play for Barcelona. However, having arrived in Europe this winter, the striker has not been able to mark his presence with a differential showing on the pitch.
The Brazilian was expected to be the major reinforcement for Barcelona in the second half of the season and to be a factor that would compete with Lewandowski. This competition would have spurred both of these players to give their best on the pitch.
However, as SPORT has noted, instead of competing with Lewandowski, the Brazilian is currently competing with another youngster, Marc Guiu.
Roque could not make any appearance in the Spanish Super Cup because of physical discomfort. But Xavi has already assured that the player has completely recovered from this problem.
Still, instead of Roque, it was Marc Guiu that Xavi called up for the final stretch of the match against Athletic Club. Xavi justified the decision to bring on Guiu instead of Roque after the game in the following words:
“The other day, Vitor came in, and today Marc came in. We were looking for more crosses, plays on the wings, and direct football. Vitor will continue to have minutes, and be important, like everyone.”
“He is very young, an 18-year-old boy, and we have to be cautious, as with all such young players, not to mark them in some way and not to pressure them too much. He has qualities to help us a lot and will be important.”
One can argue that Roque has not been in Europe for even a month yet, and needs time to adapt to the new club and city. However, it is also clear that the young striker has not had the impact that he was expected to prior to his arrival, and now also has to compete with Guiu to get minutes on the pitch.
