‘I feel really sorry for him’… Barcelona Director Deco speaks out about Vitor Roque

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·6 luglio 2025

‘I feel really sorry for him’… Barcelona Director Deco speaks out about Vitor Roque

Over the last few years, FC Barcelona have tried to incorporate new signings in various different ways. While global superstars have obviously been a target, even promising youngsters have been pursued by the club. However, not every arrival at Barcelona has had the same level of success.

Vitor Roque failed to impress at Barcelona

Vitor Roque struggled during his time at Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

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One transfer operation in particular that did not live up to the hype was that of Vitor Roque. Arriving as a promising young striker from Brazil, the youngster initially seemed destined for greatness and many people had high hopes for him at Barcelona.

Unfortunately, a mix of limited opportunities and intense pressure resulted in the player failing to make the impact that he would ideally have liked to make. Instead, he was first loaned out to Real Betis and has since been moved on permanently to Brazilian side Palmeiras.

Deco shares his thoughts on the matter

During a recent interview, Barcelona Director Deco even spoke about the player. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Deco was honest about Roque’s situation and claimed that he even felt sorry for the young striker and what he had to go through due to an accelerated arrival at Barça:

“I feel really sorry for him. With Vitor, I always think arriving in January didn’t do him any favors. He started well—scored a few goals—but then it became hard to handle the pressure that comes with playing for Barcelona.”

Things might have turned out differently

However, the Barcelona Director believes that if the player had arrived this season, he would have done a lot better at the club:

“If he had arrived this season, things might have gone better for him. With new fitness coaches and a fresh start, maybe he would’ve had more luck. Now he has to rebuild his confidence back at Palmeiras.”

Ultimately, however, the player will likely no longer get that opportunity again. Instead, Barcelona is only linked to him via certain bonuses that were included in his transfer to Palmeiras, and one of those bonus clauses is no longer achievable following the Brazilian team’s exit from the FIFA Club World Cup.