‘He was attacked severely’… Deco defends Barcelona loanee and discusses the criticism that came his way | OneFootball

Not every signing made by FC Barcelona always tends to have the same kind of immediate impact. For instance, Dani Olmo’s arrival brought immediate results with it and he has already established himself as one of Hansi Flick’s most regular starters. Unfortunately for Barcelona, not every signing can be that impactful at once.

With Vitor Roque’s arrival from Brazil, for example, there were a lot more complications. The time that was taken to adapt to the club, as well as the criticism that came his way, ultimately ended up pushing the player out of the club temporarily and is now at Real Betis on loan.

During a recent interview, however, Barcelona director Deco made sure to address Roque’s entire stay at Barcelona and defended the player against the rather harsh criticism that came his way, something that Deco himself labelled as ‘severe’, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo:

“I mean, there was real malice in it. He was attacked severely, without reason. We’re seeing a more typical adjustment process with Endrick at Real Madrid. But with Vitor, they were much harder on him, and it was difficult to watch him suffer. He had a hard time. I’m glad he’s at Betis now, enjoying football and scoring goals again. He’s a young talent with great potential.”

He also highlighted how the player is doing well now for Real Betis in terms of goalscoring, while also talking about the possible origins of the criticism that initially came his way while at Barcelona:

“He’s doing well, scoring goals. In my time with Barça, I can’t recall such an ugly attack on a young player like Vitor Roque. The criticism was so harsh and unwarranted. I don’t know its origin, whether it’s an attack on me or the club, but I don’t think there’s been a personal attack against an 18-year-old this intense and cruel.”

Deco also explained why Roque ended up arriving at Barcelona midway through an ongoing season while Xavi Hernandez was in charge, and stated that it was a request made by the coach himself:

“We aren’t making long-term plans. The main goal was for him to get playing time. The plan was to bring him this season, and if we couldn’t register him due to ‘fair play’ constraints, loan him so he could play regularly. The coach requested him in January after Gavi’s injury, so it wasn’t his fault to join then or due to anyone involved in signing him. He’ll prove that he’s a great player.”

As for the future plans concerning Roque and his stay at Barcelona, Deco made no promises but guaranteed that the player’s development will be the top priority:

“The plan remains unchanged: if fair play remains an issue, and he isn’t a priority to register, we’ll seek another loan in La Liga or elsewhere for his growth. This is common with Madrid and others, but here we criticize ourselves harshly. I felt bad for him—not because I felt attacked, but because it was unnecessary.”