Dayana Lins Roque, the wife of Vitor Roque, went online to share her immense relief after seeing her husband finally get a chance to play in a match for Barcelona.
This happened during their recent 2-0 victory over Almeria. She expressed her joy with a simple message, “Ahhhhh, Glory to God my Jesus!” when Roque was subbed onto the field, taking the place of Ferran Torres in the 73rd minute.
Roque had to cool his heels for a month and three days before feeling like a proper part of Barcelona’s football scene again since he had been on the sidelines since their clash with Cadiz in mid-April.
It is to be noted that the Brazil forward has been the talk of the town of late. Reports say the club is thinking of letting him go this summer. They reckon he needs more playing time, especially since he is only been on the field for 327 minutes across 14 games this season.
But the snag is that the club wants to send him on loan, while his agent says he is up for a permanent transfer.
Roque not in Xavi’s plans
Amidst all this uncertainty about his future, Roque has not been getting much playtime under Xavi.
The last time he started was against Cadiz on April 13th and since then, he has been subbed in six times, split between La Liga and the Champions League.
He has not even gotten a chance to play in the latter as he has been benched for the four games he was available for.
This Thursday, he got back in the game during Barcelona’s trip to Almeria. He came on for Ferran with just over 15 minutes left. He teamed up with Lamine Yamal and Joao Felix upfront but did not get much action.
In the 17 minutes he played, he only managed one shot, easily saved by the Almeria goalkeeper. Plus, he got booked for a rough tackle in the 85th minute.
Crucial time for Roque
It is suggested that these coming weeks are make-or-break for Roque at Barça. Xavi admitted they hadn’t planned on him joining in January, so he is still settling in.
Roque’s, Andre Cury, on his part, is set to have a word with the sports management, led by Deco, to figure out the best move.
The Financial Fair Play rules will be crucial, especially since Roque is not currently registered for the 2024/2025 season.
