There was a time when the news was the signing of a player for Barça. Now the news is also that he could be registered, drowned as the club is in this economic crisis that ties him in such a way in the salary ‘fair play’ that limits his movements.
And in the purest ‘Laportian’ style, Vitor Roque, the star signing of this season (made last summer and not yet officially presented) got on the plane on the way to the Canary Islands. He was summoned by Xavi. His name appeared on the list of 21 chosen players. But he was the only one who had an asterisk to his right: ‘Registration pending’. The Brazilian should take advantage of the salary gap left by Gavi’s very serious injury.
That asterisk disappeared at 9:00 p.m. when LaLiga announced on its official website the registration of the new Barça signing. The most expensive this season because it has cost Barça 30 million plus 31 in variables.
Even that has stopped being news at Barça, a club that lives on the edge at each market closing, without Xavi, its coach, knowing if he will be able to line it up this Thursday at the Gran Canaria stadium against the team Garcia Pimienta. And now with all the papers in order.
The pulse is already taken as a routine in the LaLiga offices until the footballer (it doesn’t matter if it was Koundé in summer 2022 or Gavi, Araujo, Marcos Alonso, Sergi Roberto, Gündogan, Oriol Romeu or Iñaki Peña), receive the legal document that allows them to practice their profession. The Brazilian’s arrived when he was in mid-flight to Las Palmas.
President’s endorsement
It also happened with Vitor Roque in the final hours of the summer market, with the registration of Iñigo Martínez, João Félix and João Cancelowhich even needed an endorsement from the president.
Method already used in its day with Koundé. Vitor Roque has been in Barcelona for a week now. And he has given time to almost everything, tutored in his culé immersion by Raphinha, his compatriot. “He has acted as a guide to the squad, like Araujo, who speaks Portuguese,” Xavi revealed.
He has been able to see the Olympic mountain – one of his first photos was taken there, with the city of Barcelona behind him -, he has visited the Museum, located provisionally in what was the old Gel Track, he also went to Barça Coffee and the Barça Store.
He also participated in the traditional visit to hospitals. Vitor Roque went to Vall D’Hebron along with Raphinha, of course, Lewandowski and Gündogan. And Xavi had already received it before in a big way. He hugged the ‘nine’ with affection and complicity as soon as he crossed the locker room door.
The ’19’ that belonged to Kessié, Ferran and ‘Kun’
It even has a dorsal. He will wear the ’19’ worn before by Kessié, Ferran Torres, ‘Kun’ Agüero, as well as Matheus Fernandes (remember that unknown Brazilian who cost 8 million euros and barely played 17 minutes?), Braithwaite, Boateng, Digne, Sandro, Afellay, among others. The ’19’ that Messi also wore In its beginnings (January 2006 until summer 2008), Dani, Kluivert or Pizzi.
He had everything except the necessary permission to play. A document that arrived 24 hours before his possible debut in the League. He has a locker in the locker room, between Raphinha and Lewandowski. But the final permit has not yet arrived, although Xavi, accustomed to this uncertainty, does not know when it will be him. “Registration is missing, but we hope to have him available,” said the coach, convinced that the Brazilian will be able to cohabitate in the starting eleven with Lewandowski.
But this whole process must “go little by little”, trying to avoid assuming a responsibility that does not correspond to it. “Vitor can adapt to any position in the attack. He is very young, I see him prepared. He is physically well, he has taken great care of himself. We will go with caution,” Xavi announced.
“Vitor can adapt to any position in the attack. He is very young, I see him prepared. He is physically well, he has taken great care of himself. We will be cautious”
Barça coach
In that plan there are two pieces that should facilitate this period of landing in European football. One is off the field. It’s Bojan. The other is inside and coexists in the day-to-day life of the locker room. It’s Raphinha. “We have Bojan who can help him perfectly in this adaptation,” the coach revealed.
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Xavi was referring to the figure of the former Barça player who appears in the sports management team led by Deco, playing the role of connecting with those on loan or helping young people (Vitor Roque is 18 years old) in their abrupt entry into the ‘Barça universe’. Raphinha acts more in the privacy of a locker room that has been surprised, as Pedri confessed to Ibai Llanos, that the former Athlético Paranaense forward is “smiling all day.”
That’s how he got on the plane on the way to Las Palmas. Without being registered, oblivious to the intrigue that his arrival has generated, and upon landing in the Canary Islands he already knows that he can play this Thursday.