Barcelona Vitor Roque considered quitting before joining Real Betis on loan

Vitor Roque has revealed that during his difficult time in Barcelona he considered giving up and retiring to his small farm in Brazil.

The Brazilian teenage striker admitted he lost his confidence at Barça, where he moved from Brazilian club Athletico-PR in January in a deal initially worth 35 million euros ($39 million).

Roque, now on a season-long loan at Real Betis, told ESPN: “The most difficult moment was the one I went through there at Barcelona. But thank God I had my family by my side. If you’re not happy, if.” If you don’t have self-confidence, things won’t go well.

“Sometimes I spoke to my mother and said: ‘I don’t need any of this, I need to be happy, that’s the most important thing’. But sometimes you have to go through things like that to learn, to learn to overcome it, to learn that it’s not easy, to learn that it’s a process and to move on.”

Asked if he was thinking about quitting, he said: “Yes. I thought I wanted to go to the farm there (in Brazil) and be quiet without anyone worrying me because sometimes it’s difficult… big pressure. But it is like that.” It’s all about moving forward, having mental strength, continuing to work with great humility and little by little I’m regaining my complete happiness and self-confidence.

Barça inserted a €500 million release clause in Roque’s contract as expectations were high for the player, who had impressed at Athletico-PR and Brazil’s youth teams.

“The truth is that I arrived (in Barcelona) very happy,” he said. “I fulfilled my childhood dream, which was always my dream, to be there, to experience Champions League moments and to wear this jersey. When I got there (to Barcelona), I realized my dream of playing in Europe.”

“I think almost every player dreams of playing in Europe, especially at a club like Barcelona. Seeing and playing with players in the video game is incredible. I didn’t think this would happen so quickly in my life.” “

Roque scored two goals in 16 appearances for Barça, most of them as a substitute, with veteran Robert Lewandowski preferred as the number 9.

“I was really afraid that everything would work out,” he said. “I think what created the pressure was the price they paid for me, which has been a very expensive investment over the last few years.”

“I wasn’t quite ready to resolve the situation or help the team as much as I would have liked. I had to have time to adapt, have time to get used to the players, the club, etc. “It didn’t go the way I liked. And it serves as a learning experience for next season.

Roque said his start to life at Barça was a learning curve.

“There’s a lot that I’ll carry with me forever,” he said. “The biggest lesson was knowing that things pass and persevering through the process, which is not easy. If I want to achieve my greatest goal, I need to know how to persevere through the process, how to be aware that everything will pass, to continue working for myself.

According to Roque, Real Madrid striker Vinícius Júnior was an inspiration. Like Roque, Vinícius also struggled when he moved from Flamengo to Madrid as a teenager in 2018.

“Sometimes my representatives use Vinícius as an example of how to be stubborn and fight for your place, and I completely agree,” he said. “He is a player who did not have an easy life when he arrived (in Madrid).

“Today he is reaping the rewards and I am very happy that he is experiencing this great moment that he deserves.”

Roque has scored five goals in 17 games for Betis.

When asked what he recovered at Betis, he said: “Happiness and self-confidence come first. From the first day I set foot here at Real Betis, I felt like it was a family. I have my chance, I’ll try.” I’ll do things in the best way and try to help the club even more.

Roque has a contract with Barça until June 2031, but Betis has the option to extend Roque’s stay for another season or make his move permanent next summer.

When asked about his future, he said: “Step by step. My biggest goal is to have an excellent season here at Betis, to help the team as much as I can with goals and assists and to fight for every ball. And God willing, I can do it.” I will also make the national team, which is one of my biggest dreams.

“Only God knows what will happen in the future.”

In the meantime, Roque is looking forward to Saturday’s league home game against Barça.

“It is a team that has proven itself to be one of the best in the world in both the Champions League and La Liga,” he said. “It will definitely be a special game.”

Roque will be happy to see fellow Brazilian Raphinha, who is having an impressive season at Barça after struggling last season.

“He has helped me a lot since I arrived,” Roque said of Raphinha. “He is a guy who many people doubted and today he shows he can do what he did before at Leeds. And he’s a guy who can help any team in the world. And he shows that today in Barcelona and I am very happy for him.”