'Such bad and ugly criticism' - Deco hits out at 'evil' attack on Barcelona loanee Vitor Roque and makes Endrick comparison

Roque joined Barcelona from Athletico Paranaense in January with high expectations placed on his young shoulders. However, the 18-year-old forward encountered a difficult start as he struggled to find consistent form at the Catalan club. Subsequently, he was shipped off on loan to La Liga rivals Real Betis, where he has since thrived.

Under the guidance of manager Manuel Pellegrini, Roque has shown glimpses of his talent, netting five goals and earning a starting position in the Betis squad. The forward even admitted that the experience with the Blaugranas was mentally taxing, acknowledging the challenges he faced as a teenager attempting to make an immediate impact in a demanding environment.

In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Deco addressed the wave of criticism Roque faced during his Barcelona stint. The Brazilian sporting director did not mince words and said: "He's doing well, he's scoring goals. Since I've known Barca, I can't remember such a bad attack on a young player, as it came from outside, like with Roque. Such bad and ugly criticism. I don't know where it came from, I don't know if it's an attack on me or on the club, but I don't think there was such a strong and bad personal attack on an 18-year-old kid. I mean evil, he was attacked very strongly, without any sense, without any reason. I don't know where the origin of all this is, whether it's internal or external, but I don't understand how they could be so cruel to a kid."

Deco also noted similarities between Roque’s experience and that of Brazilian compatriot Endrick, who has faced his own set of struggles since joining Real Madrid. The striker was expected to make an immediate impact but has found game time limited under Carlo Ancelotti despite scoring on his La Liga and Champions League debut.

"We're now seeing with Endrick a normal process of an 18-19-year-old player who comes to Madrid going through a normal process," he said. "Roque has been hurt a lot and it's been very hard for me to see him suffer and see how he's come out, how he's had a bad time. That's football. I'm 47 years old and I'm not used to certain things either."

Roque will look to continue his development at Betis so that he can claim a starting berth next season when he returns to Barcelona. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Real Madrid are contemplating sending Endrick out on loan, possibly to Ronaldo Nazario’s Real Valladolid, as a means to help him gain regular minutes and adapt to the demands of Spanish football.