The fewer goals Lewandowski scores and the more opportunities he wastes, the more impatient the fans are waiting for the arrival of Vitor Roque. He fires the imagination: he is 18 years old, has 28 goals and 11 assists in 81 matches for Athletico Paranaense, is labeled a great talent and has recommendations from the greatest figures in Brazilian football. Due to his position, style of play and very early debut in the Brazilian national team, he draws comparisons to Ronaldo. Fans can wait, get excited and believe in a painless move from Brazil to Spain, but Barcelona wants to maintain common sense and not forcefully accelerate a career that is already moving incredibly fast. She brings him to her home in January because, for many reasons, she thinks it will be best for him. However, he does not want to raise expectations, which will be huge after spending EUR 30 million (another EUR 30 million in bonuses) and entering a EUR 500 million release clause into the eight-year contract. She is supposed to give him time, take care of his peace and surround him with support.
Watch the video Michał Probierz used a tomato. What self-confidence!
Let’s make it clear right away – Roque is not replacing Lewandowski. Deco, a former Barcelona player who has been its sports director since the summer, emphasizes this directly, coach Xavi also says it between the lines, and finally, the player himself does not want to challenge the Pole, but to learn from him. The club believes that it will work: Lewandowski is eager to play the role of a mentor, and Roque absorbs knowledge and admires the Pole, even calling him a legend. The ideal plan is for them to help each other. Roque will take advantage of the advice and observe Lewandowski closely, and Lewandowski will finally have a substitute who will allow him to rest from time to time. They can also play together because their strengths seem complementary. Lewandowski is experienced and can play with his back to the goal, and Roque is based on extraordinary dynamics and strength, thanks to which he makes excellent use of free space on the pitch. But yes – ultimately, when the Pole leaves the club, the Brazilian will be ready to replace him.
Brazil loves strikers and is looking for the next Ronaldo
In fact, Vitor Roque may feel like a Barcelona player since the summer, but he was supposed to formally join them only in July 2024 so that the financially depressed club could meet the financial fair play limits imposed by the league authorities. For several weeks, Barcelona had been looking for a way to bring him back in January, but the gateway to this transfer ultimately turned out to be Gavi’s serious injury, which ruled him out for the rest of the season. The Spaniard will therefore be deregistered from the competition and Roque will take his place. The whole plan is already outlined: the last match at Athletico Paranaense on December 6, then a short break, and after the holidays, a flight to Barcelona and participation in the first training session on December 28. The match against Las Palmas on January 4 will be the first opportunity to make his debut.
– I gave my all for Athletico Paranaense, and now it’s time for me to fulfill my dream. This is what playing for Barcelona is all about, said the Brazilian a few days ago, right after the last home match. The fans said goodbye to him with applause, and the journalists did not leave their side. They asked about pressure, attitude and goals. – I’m working on my head to be ready for this challenge. Humility, work and more work. I believe this is the key to success. And that I always want more. That’s why I’m now joining a big club like Barcelona. I watched every match of hers, I can’t wait – he didn’t hide his excitement. Favorite match? – 6-1 victory against PSG with Neymar in the main role.
In Brazil they say he is a gem, a generational talent. They see him and Endrick, who is still a year younger, a striker already signed by Real Madrid, as a duo comparable to Romario and Bebeto. But Roque himself is most often compared to Ronaldo. After all, he was the youngest national team debutant (18 years and 25 days) since his time. Ronaldo also has no doubts: – This is our future – he says. However, Roque does not seem overwhelmed by such a large scale of expectations. He plays with this convention and once even cut his hair like “Fenomeno” in 2002.
And Brazil is crazy because they love strikers. She is hungry for them. There has been no one to sigh for for two decades: Adriano’s shot was momentary and is a warning to young people today, Gabriel Jesus has been playing for Arsenal, he has been in the best league in the world for years, but he doesn’t score that many goals. Gabriel Barbosa Almeida failed to conquer Europe completely, and Alexandre Pato failed to reach the bar of expectations suspended in the clouds. However, you can hear everywhere that Roque is different – better prepared, wiser, calmer and surrounded by conscious parents. Coaches emphasize his diligence and humility. Roque learned English in advance, which is not the norm for Brazilian footballers. He has also been cooperating with a sports psychologist for several years, believing that every football player should work not only on their legs, but also on their heads. In Brazil, they say that he and Endrick represent a different – better – generation. Definitely more prepared to succeed.
It is no coincidence that when Barcelona approved Roque’s transfer a few months ago and Xavi Hernandez was asked to briefly describe him, he did not start by mentioning his on-field advantages. – He is very well prepared. He is a very mature and mentally strong player, he emphasized. A year ago, Luiz Felipe Scolari, a former coach who managed Roque at Athletico, made a similar statement. – He is 17 years old, but both physically and mentally he looks 6-7 years older – he said.
His words gave fans hope that Roque would not be another Brazilian star snuffed out by Europe. Big heads in Brazil, complaining about the lack of a top-class striker, have been wondering for years how to increase transfer efficiency and make their players better adapt to new conditions. Experts stated that a few years ago, Real Madrid completely changed the market and the applicable rules by purchasing 17-year-old Vinicius Jr. The largest European clubs no longer tempted players in their twenties, but teenagers. They wanted them as soon as possible to polish their talent in Europe. And when there was demand, the league began to supply such players. So younger and younger players are making their debuts. They can leave Brazil when they turn 18 and become adults, but they sign contracts earlier. According to many experts, they throw themselves across the ocean too early, unformed and mentally unprepared.
Roque, however, is expected to be an exception. He is going abroad for the first time, but he was already exposed to the transfer buzz at the age of fourteen. He moved from America Mineiro to Cruzeiro, and the transfer – considering junior conditions – was stellar. Roque was already considered to be very talented and he couldn’t keep away from the clubs interested in him. Some played more cleanly, others less. America decided that Cruzeiro, in order to be the fastest, stole the player from them illegally. It offered Vitor’s father the position of a scout with an astronomical salary of PLN 20,000. euros a month and filled his agent’s pockets with money. In the case of children – this is not allowed. The deal was achieved, but the whole country was buzzing about the transfer – and the illegal activities. Ultimately, America won 35 percent in court. rights to Roque and the amount of the next transfer, and Cruzeiro was withdrawn from many youth tournaments as a punishment. This did not disturb Roque’s development, so fans hope that he will cope equally well with the noise surrounding the transfer to Barcelona.
Barcelona challenges Real Madrid. Will Roque help Lewandowski?
Deco – the father of this transfer – heard about Roque a few years ago, when he was still working as a football agent. His friend Branco, a former Brazilian representative who works in the federation as a youth group coordinator, argued that they had to write down his name and watch him closely because he would soon grow into an excellent footballer. It was good advice. And it was Deco’s excellent orientation in the Brazilian market and a dense network of contacts, without which it is difficult to make any transfer in this country, that were for him like an entry ticket to Barcelona’s offices. Barca wants to challenge Real, which in recent years has benefited from the lack of major competition in Brazil. Bringing in the most talented teenagers has worked – Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo are key players today. Barcelona know they can no longer miss them. She cannot afford it given her financial problems. He must search and convince before they become more expensive. And the price is rising incredibly quickly.
Deco was in Brazil again in recent weeks to finalize the details of Roque’s move. He also checked how he was coping after the injury, which excluded him from the game for two months. Everything is fine – he has already played in three matches and in each subsequent one he was getting more and more minutes. He also scored the first goal. There is no way he would join the reserve team at Barcelona. He is a player who can open up new attacking opportunities for Xavi. A substitute, but also a potential partner for Lewandowski. Although Roque is not as technically good as Joao Felix, he can play in a similar position and rely on incredible acceleration. Xavi also tried to use Ferran Torres as a second striker, but the results were not satisfactory. Roque theoretically fits this role much better.
In Brazil, he has two nicknames: “Tigrinho” inherited from his father – he is a tiger and there is no greater story behind him, although Barcelona emphasized the wildness associated with him in the welcome video. “Tank” already refers to the pitch. Roque is only 172 cm tall, but – as Scolari says – he has extremely strong legs. It’s hard and hard to tip over. In youth games, he was often a defensive midfielder, because before the coaches noticed his talent for scoring goals, they saw his natural strength, tenacity and aggression on the pitch. He has not lost these features – he is a fighting striker, engaged in pressing. He is also very mobile – he runs from the center to the wings and constantly looks for free spaces. And when he finds it, he shifts into a higher gear and moves away from the defenders after a few meters. Brazilian analysts emphasize that, considering his age, he understands tactics well and stands out due to his cunning on the pitch. He has a drive for goal and is easy to score goals. However, he is far from the stereotypical Brazilian footballer who plays to the rhythm of samba and constantly plays with the ball. Roque is sparing – he doesn’t make too many feints, and he never uses them just to delight the audience. He sometimes passes inaccurately and receives inaccurate receptions. He relies on his physicality and athleticism, but has technical shortcomings. However, he has a very good shot – according to Wyscout data, 43%. his shots on goal result in a goal.
Scolari emphasizes that Roque can already do a lot, but he still needs typical junior training: for coaches to pay attention to the direction of receiving the ball, to the positioning of his teammates, and also to explain how to hit the ball, in which direction to shoot, depending on the positioning on the ball. pitch. At the highest level, attackers are unlikely to hear such comments. For example, Pep Guardiola claims that he never tells the striker what to do in the penalty area, because as a player he scored few goals, so the players he works with know it much better than him. For example, he explained to Lewandowski at Bayern Munich that the penalty area is his temple and he does not even dare to enter it, and his only task as a coach is to make the entire team bring him the ball to this temple as often as possible. – The rest is the instinct of the attacker – he repeated. Scolari, however, appeals not to treat Roque in a similar way and to continue to see him as a junior. In Barcelona they are aware of this.
2023-12-10 06:28:00
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