Barcelona coaches prefer taking a cautious approach with teenage prodigy’s adaptation
It has been two months since Vitor Roque landed at FC Barcelona, with his arrival being fast-tracked from the summer to the winter window at the behest of manager Xavi Hernandez.
Barça signed the 19-year-old striker from Athletico Paranaense last summer itself, in a deal worth €30 million plus €31 million in add-ons. But with Fair Play limitations, it was decided to let the youngster stay in Brazil until the summer of 2024.
However, Gavi’s injury opened the pathway for Barcelona to bring Roque’s arrival forward and register him with La Liga without any issues.
Roque’s arrival was met with a lot of excitement and expectations among the Blaugrana fanbase, but they have had to make do with seeing only fleeting glimpses of the Brazilian prodigy.
Barcelona happy with cautious approach with Roque
That is because the Barcelona coaches prefer taking a cautious approach with Vitor Roque and his adaptation to the club, reports MARCA.
In two months since his arrival, the 19-year-old has featured in only 198 minutes of football, participating in nine of the 14 matches that the Catalans have played during this period. He has already found the back of the net two times.
There have been moments when Xavi’s decision to not use the striker have led to some frustration within the fanbase, as was the case during the 1-1 draw vs Napoli last month.
But the coaches feel that following a cautious route with the youngster’s adaptation and not rushing things is the best way forward.
It must be noted that Roque had spent a considerable time out injured before arriving in Barça while he also had some physical discomfort early in his tenure at the club.
As such, the coaching staff is happy to ease him into things and let him adapt to the city, the club, and the league at a relaxed pace rather than rushing him.
“We have to look after him because he’s going to help us a lot,” Xavi had said after the Brazilian scored his first goal.
