Vitor Roque reflects on his failed Barcelona spell – ‘It wasn’t about money’ | OneFootball

When FC Barcelona signed Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense back in January 2024, there was a lot of excitement surrounding his arrival.

After all, the striker, who was only 18 years old at the time, had established himself as one of the brightest young talents in South American football.

The move, though, did not go according to plan for Roque, as he barely played for Barça during the first six months of his time in Europe under Xavi Hernandez.

Things did not improve for Roque after Hansi Flick took over, and he ended up joining Real Betis on loan in the summer of 2024.

While he did show glimpses of his potential in Seville, the striker was not a regular and when Palmeiras came calling in the winter earlier this year, he took the opportunity to return to Brazil.

Roque reflects on time in Europe

Now called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the Brazilian national team, as a reward for his good form for Palmeiras, Roque addressed the media at a press conference earlier today, where he discussed his time at Barcelona and in Europe in general.

“I went to Europe very soon. I learned a lot from my experience. In the same way, returning to Brazilian football is not a step backwards, quite the contrary,” acknowledged Tigrinho.

Excelling back in Brazil. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)

“Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward. Luiz Henrique is also proof of this, he returned and won titles with Botafogo. I hope to follow the same path: come back and win titles,” he added.

Roque made it clear that his move to Barcelona was not motivated by money but by his dream of playing for a top club like the Blaugrana.

“It wasn’t about money, no. I have between 10 and 15 years left in my career, God willing. It’s not the time to think about that. But of course, when I left, I had a career plan for myself,” said Roque.

“Every athlete dreams of playing for a club like Barcelona, one of the best clubs in the world. It’s a dream.”

Roque then went on to say that he wants a second chance to succeed in Europe, as he stated:

“It’s also a dream to return to Europe, to adapt. God willing, I’ll continue doing my job at Palmeiras, because that’s my goal today, and in the future I’ll return to Europe.”

Source: AS