"What I can see now is different from what I saw on television" - Vitor Roque names one Barcelona star who has 'impacted' him the most
Vitor Roque has named a teammate at Barcelona who has had the most impact on him.
The young attacker has been adjusting to his new club since his joining at the beginning of the winter transfer window. In an interview with the club magazine, he revealed that Frenkie de Jong had the most impact on him, among his teammates.
Roque said (via Barca Blaugranes):
"It’s not that I didn’t expect it, but what I can see now is different from what I saw on television from afar and the one who has impacted me the most is Frenkie de Jong. He is very good, and a great person too."
De Jong has been dealing with fitness issues in recent weeks and is still recovering from an injury. He landed awkwardly during an aerial challenge in their match against Athletic Bilbao, spraining the lateral ligament in his right ankle. According to the Athletic, he will be out for at least a month.
De Jong is lucky that his injury window coincides with the international break. This could give him some time to heal without having to miss a lot of Barcelona games. He has already missed a number of games this season, playing only 27 games across all competitions.
Deco confirms Xavi's exit from Barcelona this summer
Barcelona sporting director Deco has said unequivocally that Xavi Hernandez will not continue as head coach. This development comes as Blaugrana has started to meet expectations in La Liga and has surpassed them significantly in the Champions League.
Barcelona has been performing better in their matches since Xavi announced his departure in January. However, by June, the club might struggle to find a suitable replacement for him.
When asked about Xavi's decision, Deco told Cadena SER (via Barca Blaugranes):
"I’ve already been asked about 10 times if Xavi is leaving or not. We’re in La Liga and the Champions League, there are goals to achieve and we can’t be asking the same question every day. Xavi continues to tell us that his decision is irreversible. If something changes, he must tell us. If he tells us he wants to continue, we should talk to him."
Barca fans will continue to hold out hope that Xavi Hernandez reconsiders and opts to remain at Camp Nou, especially if he can guide the team to another trophy this season.