The Brazilian legend Rivaldo is one of the most memorable players to have donned the FC Barcelona jersey. The former forward played for the Catalans for five seasons, in which he played 235 games and scored 130 goals.
The most memorable of these goals came in a match against Valencia in the 2000-01 season in the 87th minute, as he scored a bicycle kick to complete his hat-trick and win the match for the Catalans.
This goal allowed Barcelona to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the next season, and caused a mayhem in the stands.
It has been more than 23 years since that goal, and the Brazilian is now enjoying his retirement. But he still frequently comments on things happening in Barcelona, and he talked about the club in some detail in one of his recent interviews with SPORT.
One of the topics that the Brazilian addressed in this interview was about the improvement in the form of one of his compatriots, Raphinha. But he was not the only Brazilian on whom he commented, as he also shared his opinion on the problems faced by Vitor Roque at Barcelona:
“The confidence… Vitor arrived mid-season, during a difficult time. He didn’t have the trust or the playing time, but he’s an amazing player and will gain a lot of experience at Betis and, surely, return to Barcelona.”
“Right now, he’s a bit down, a little sad about leaving Barcelona, but he can come back and make a difference in the future because he knows how to play.”
The €30m-rated Brazilian forward has a lot to prove at Real Betis if he is to return to Barcelona and get an important role in the team. For now, he has played 7 games with the Verdiblancos, scoring 2 goals in the process.
Hopefully, Rovaldo’s words will come true and he will return to Barcelona having adapted to Spanish football. But it remains to be seen how he will develop in the coming months, as it can determine the course of his future evolution.