the endless struggle of Vitor Roque at Bétis

Vitor Roque, who arrived this summer at Real Betis to strengthen Manuel Pellegrini’s attack, is struggling to find his place after being dismissed by FC Barcelona. The Catalan team, who had recruited him for 30 million euros plus bonuses, finally decided to loan him to Betis after Hansi Flick, new Barça coach, deemed him unsuitable for their style of play during the summer friendly matches. This decision, justified by the striker’s lack of playing time under Xavi Hernández, seems for the moment confirmed by his irregular performances in Seville. Indeed, despite high expectations and significant support, notably that of Joaquín Sánchez, Roque failed to seize his opportunities. In the derby against Sevilla, he missed two clear chances, misses deemed “fatal” by coach Pellegrini, who said after the match: “If you have two heads-to-heads in a very close derby, you have to mark.”

Hope endures?

Despite a difficult start to the season, marked by only one achievement against Leganés, hopes still rest on Vitor Roque to lead the Betis attack, especially after the summer departures of Borja Iglesias, Willian José and Ayoze Pérez. Betis took a risky gamble by giving this central role to the Brazilian striker, hoping he would become the goalscorer Pellegrini needed. However, after several missed opportunities and increased competition, notably with Cédric Bakambu, doubts are starting to set in. Barcelona, ​​for its part, is observing this situation carefully, especially since the initial investment in the player has not yet borne fruit. For now, Vitor Roque has not yet been able to fully justify the trust placed in him, but Betis still hope that he will be able to adapt and prove his worth in the months to come.