Barcelona’s hidden opinions: The case of their out-of-favour young forward

In a surprising twist, Joan Fontes has revealed that when Vitor Roque arrived at Barcelona, Xavi’s staff initially warned that they had signed a player who might not meet expectations, referring to him as a ‘bust’.

Despite this internal concern, the club publicly promoted the narrative that Xavi and his staff were enthusiastic about Roque’s potential.

Internally, Xavi’s staff gave Roque the nickname ‘Roquembach’. This was a playful but telling reference to Fabio Rochemback, a former Brazilian player who had played alongside Xavi at Barcelona and was known for his subpar performance.

This nickname hinted at the coaching staff’s doubts about Roque’s abilities from the start.

La Masia players were in shock to see Roque

Furthermore, from the perspective of La Masia, where Barcelona’s future stars are groomed, there were immediate concerns about Roque’s technical skills.

Players and coaches observed deficiencies during training sessions, which only reinforced the initial doubts.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, a journalist was encouraged by the club to write positively about Roque before his arrival.

This manipulation of public opinion was further complicated when, months later, the same journalist received evidence of the commission paid for Malcom’s transfer. This coincidence raised eyebrows and suggested a pattern of questionable practices.

Xavi was always against Roque

It must be noted that Xavi himself was reportedly against signing Roque. The decision to bring Roque to Barcelona in January was made only after Gavi was sidelined for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.

Xavi was seeking a player to support or substitute for the ageing Robert Lewandowski, but it soon became clear to the coaching staff that they had been misled about Roque’s potential.

Currently, there are rumours of interest from major European clubs, but the club seems more inclined to sell Roque to the Saudi Arabian market.

This move is driven by a desire to balance the club’s finances and create room for new signings. Roque’s transfer fee was considered excessive, and there is a growing demand for accountability regarding the decision to bring him to Barcelona.