To sweat. The break is over and it’s time to move from words to actions. It is time to show that you want to succeed at Barcelona and win titles this season. We have to put all the wood on the fire, there is no longer time to hide or speculate. Barcelona returned to training this Friday after the break for the Christmas holidays with the clear objective of fighting until the end for the four titles.
Xavi said things clearly on the day of Almería. The technician understood everything. But it remains to be seen if the message has been internalized correctly and has had the desired effect in the locker room. In January, where three competitions are combined (League, Cup and Super Cup) we will have to take that step forward that the coach demanded.
One of the challenges that Xavi proposed to his squad to encourage them was to have one more day of Christmas holidays if they beat Porto and Atlético de Madrid at the beginning of December. As the players achieved it (2-1 and 1-0, both in Montjuïc) they returned to work yesterday and not on December 28.
The Barcelona fans have been able to recharge their batteries because until the end of the season there are hardly any free weeks. They will not be linked again for nine days without an official match, perhaps until the end of March, when on those dates FIFA will hold the play-offs to enter next summer’s Euro Cup. Decisive stakes are coming, starting with the visit to the Insular stadium in Las Palmas on January 4, which will close the first round of the League.
Christmas has brought Barça a long-awaited gift in the form of a new forward. Vitor Roque was received by Xavi in ??the coaching staff’s office. “Before signing (in July 2023), Deco and Xavi spoke to me. He did it not as a technician but also as a friend who is willing to help,” revealed the forward, who this Friday finally met him in person.
Afterwards, the young Brazilian, shy and humble, 18 years old, went down to the locker room and greeted his new teammates one by one: Ferran Torres, Sergi Roberto, De Jong, Araújo, Iñaki Peña… Also Lewandowski, a nine like him, and one of the best scorers of the last decade, and Raphinha, his compatriot, settled in the canarinha. They are the two players with whom the former Athletico Paranaense player is most excited to play.
Afterwards, Vitor Roque dressed in shorts to jump onto the grass of the Tito Vilanova field and complete his first session as a Blaugrana. Before, he had to go through the traditional corridor of affectionate slaps.
Little by little the technicians will see the qualities of the new reinforcement. Meanwhile, he defines himself like this. “I am a fighter, I fight for all the balls, I don’t give up any of them, and I try to score as many goals as possible,” he explained in the official media, where he also demonstrated that he knows the level of demand that awaits him at Barcelona. “It is a big, perfect club. The only option you have is to win, win and win,” he reflected. Although he is clear about which trophy he prefers. “My dream is to win the Champions League, that is my biggest dream.”
To face the challenge of the enormous leap from Brazil, where he was an idol at Athletico Paranaense, to Barcelona, ??in a locker room full of stars, Vitor Roque knows that physical fitness will be as important as mentality. That’s why he has been working on the psychological part for some time. “I have prepared with my coach. I have spoken with him every day to arrive at Barcelona prepared.”
In addition to Pedri and Iñigo Martínez, who remain a doubt for the Arabian Super Cup (January 10 to 14), Marcos Alonso, who is not available due to back pain, did not exercise. The discomfort persists and the defender, who has not played since November 7 against Shakhtar, has decided to undergo surgery to fully recover, the same solution that Ter Stegen took. The goalkeeper had surgery in France on December 8. The sick leave time is around two months since the intervention. At the moment, Xavi has not recovered any injured personnel. The novelty is called Vitor Roque and comes from Brazil. He now yearns for a midfielder.
