Former Barcelona defender Marc Bartra has offered his thoughts on his Real Betis teammate Vitor Roque, in a recent interaction as they get set to take on the Catalans this weekend.
Bartra backed the Brazilian to perform even better during the remainder of the campaign while also admitting that he was satisfied with his performance.
Bartra on Roque’s progress
Since joining Real Betis on a loan deal this summer, Roque has racked up five goals in 18 league matches.
The Brazilian has performed considerably better at Betis, but coach Manuel Pellegrini is expecting much more from him.
Speaking to SPORT, Bartra said he is happy with how Bartra has performed, but noted that he has room to improve further.
“I have a lot of affection for Vitor. On a personal level, he is a beautiful person and on a professional level, a player with brutal conditions and room for improvement,” Bartra remarked.
“Vitor listens a lot and is very eager to grow,” added Bartra, who is one of the captains of the Real Betis team.
Bartra has full faith in Roque’s abilities (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
The former Barcelona defender, who has been openly supportive of his teammate, went on to back the Brazilian, adding, “My trust in him is absolute because I believe he can give us a lot this season.”
Bartra on Cubarsi and Lewandowski
Bartra also talked about a couple of Barcelona players in the form of Robert Lewandowski and Pau Cubarsi.
About Lewandowski, Bartra said, “For him, the years don’t pass. You can tell that he takes great care of himself physically and that he is very competitive.
“He is one of the best in the world and it is no coincidence everything he has done thanks to his mentality to improve himself.”
Bartra has ample experience playing against Lewandowski, having faced him multiple times during his stint in the Bundesliga.
As for Cubarsi, the veteran defender added, “For his age, he is giving a performance of a very high level. Coming from La Masia and playing the same way for so many years makes this step more natural and that’s why he feels so confident.”
Giving his blessing, Bartra concluded, “He has great confidence and I’m very happy that people from the youth academy are coming up and giving that performance.”