BARCELONA chief Vitor Roque considered quitting football at the age of 19 and becoming a farmer because of the pressure he faced at Camp Nou.
Barca signed 19-year-old Roque from Athletico Paranaense in January for an initial fee of £30 million but struggled to make an impact in Catalonia, prompting a move to Real Betis.
The striker has scored just two goals in 16 appearances for the Blaugrana and played second fiddle to star player Robert Lewandowski.
The Brazil international has argued that the fee paid by Barcelona, plus his release clause of as much as €500m (£414m), has led to significant pressure and anxiety.
So much so that Roque even considered taking early retirement to find peace on his farm in Brazil.
However, the talented striker found a way to regroup and has impressed for Betis with five goals and one assist in 19 appearances.
Roque told ESPN: “Yes. I thought I wanted to go to the farm there [in Brazil] and be calm, without anyone worrying me, because sometimes it's hard… a lot of pressure.
“But it's just about moving forward, having mental strength, continuing to work with great humility and everything turning out well.
“Little by little I am also regaining my full happiness and self-confidence.
“I already had a lot of anxiety about making things go well. I think the pressure was the price they paid for me, which was a very expensive investment in recent years.
“I wasn't quite ready to resolve the situation or help the team in the way I wanted, I would have liked to.
“I should have had time to adapt, time to get used to the players and the club, and that didn't work out the way I wanted.
“And it serves as a learning experience for the next season.”
Comments