Barcelona legend Rivaldo has joined Andre Cury to criticise Xavi for the treatment of Vitor Roque.
"I think Vitor Roque has lacked opportunities. They [Barca] have given very few minutes to a player who stood out in the Brazilian championship. He is very young and has not had the necessary opportunities to show his football," the 52-year-old has said.
"Sometimes it happens. He has not had enough chances and now they believe the player will not be useful for the club, so they will look for a transfer. I think Barcelona simply didn't know how to give him more opportunities. He is a good player, he has a future.
"From the outside, I don't know exactly what happened and I don't know what his day-to-day life is, like in training, to see if he deserved a chance. But we know what he did at Athletico Paranaense and in the Brazilian championship.
"I don't know if his training level is the reason behind getting so few chances," Rivaldo concluded.
Vitor Roque bagged 21 goals and delivered nine assists in 45 appearances for Athletico Paranaense in 2023. However, he picked up a serious injury late last year, right before joining Barcelona.
The 19-year-old has netted two goals for Barca in 310 minutes of play, both off the bench. He hasn't featured in the last four games for Xavi's side as the club consider loaning him out.
Barcelona spent over €30m to land Vitor Roque plus add-ons.
Latest news
