Recently, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco spoke to a Brazilian media outlet about the club’s signing of young forward Vitor Rocke. He admitted that the club made a mistake in its judgment when signing the player and stated that then-head coach Xavi was responsible for the decision.
Here’s what happened: In January 2024, Barcelona spent 30 million euros (with a potential total of 61 million euros) to sign Rocke, then just 18 years old, from Brazilian club Paraná Clube. However, just one year later, he was sold to Brazilian side Palmeiras, with a stint on loan at La Liga club Real Betis in between. These moves have raised questions about Barcelona’s transfer strategy.
“Signing him was not a mistake, but it was too early”
Deco explained in an interview: “Signing Roca was not a mistake, because at the time our main striker Lewandowski was already 34 or 35 years old, and we needed to prepare for the future.” He said that Roca was brought in with the long-term development of the team in mind.
However, he also admitted that the problem was the timing. “We thought the timing was right at the time, but in reality, he wasn’t ready to join a demanding club like Barcelona.”
He also mentioned that although the transfer fee seemed high, the club actually recouped most of its investment, so the financial loss was not as significant as outsiders imagined.
Xavi insisted on signing him early, but it backfired
Regarding why Roca didn’t join during the summer transfer window but instead arrived mid-season, Deco revealed the truth: “It was Xavi’s request. We usually listen to the coach’s opinions, so we brought him in early. But looking back now, it was a mistake.”
He further explained: “Roca wasn’t mentally or tactically prepared to handle the pressure at Barcelona at that time. Plus, he was very sensitive to media attention and easily influenced.”
The facts also proved that Rock’s time at Barcelona was not smooth. In his first six months, he barely played in any starting matches, scoring only one goal and getting few opportunities to play. Deco admitted: “His performance did not meet expectations. In fact, the entire team, including the coaching staff, did not provide him with enough support and failed to help him adapt to the pace and pressure here.”
After leaving Barcelona, starting anew
Later, Rock was loaned to Real Betis, hoping to gain experience in competitive matches. However, after half a season, he still couldn’t establish himself. So in January this year, he officially returned to Brazil and joined Palmeiras.
Deco expressed understanding for this decision: “Betis is also a very demanding team, but he couldn’t adapt. In the end, his agent decided to return to Brazil, and we accepted it.What’s important is that he has the opportunity to regain his confidence and form. After all, he’s still young and very talented.“
Overall, this signing is more of an example of ”thinking big but moving too fast.” Barcelona wants to plan for the future, but they need more patience and support when it comes to developing young players. Rock’s story reminds us that even prodigious talents need time and space to grow.