Earlier this week, Barcelona sporting director Deco confirmed that he still has faith in Vitor Roque to became a success at the Catalan giants. The 19-year-old attacker had a difficult start to life at the club, and during the summer, he was sent out on loan to fellow La Liga side Real Betis, where he has started to come into his own.
It’s not only Deco that has faith in Roque, but also Jordi Cruyff, former director of football at Barcelona. As per Sport, he called for patience with the teenager.
“I’ve said it before very subtly, being a coach here is very complicated. You have to be patient, especially when you start a new project, when a new foreign boy comes. I always remember Vinicius’ first years at Real Madrid – the same happens in Barcelona and perhaps there would not be so much patience. Real Madrid had it, and in the end, they have a differential player.”
It was obvious that Roque would not hit the ground running immediately at Barcelona, and the loan move to Betis was probably the best thing for all parties. It will be interesting to see how his situation is managed from next summer, when he is projected to return to Catalonia.