Martínez Munuera to Vitor Roque: ‘It’s Not Like Brazil Here’

Barcelona’s recent addition, Vitor Roque, is swiftly realizing the nuances of donning the Blaugrana jersey. The Brazilian forward, who arrived during the January transfer window, has adapted well on and off the pitch. However, a red card incident in the Alavés-Barça match led to Roque’s complaint and an interesting response from referee Martínez Munuera.

In an interview with ‘Mundo Deportivo,’ Roque shed light on the controversial decision. According to the Brazilian, the referee justified the expulsion by saying, “‘Here is not like in Brazil.’ That’s what he was talking about, that this is not like Brazil,” confesses Roque, who simply respected the decision and left the field.

Despite not agreeing with the decision, Roque acknowledges the situation: “I think the yellow card was unfair, at least the second one, and now I have to serve the suspension. It was the referees’ decision; Barcelona tried to appeal in every possible way, so I have no choice but to serve the suspension and prepare for the next game.”

Reflecting on the Alavés match, Roque expressed his confusion: “At first, I didn’t understand. It was a situation where the defender came at me with his foot forward, and when I saw it, I tried to turn my foot to avoid impact and injury. But the player started shouting, and the referee showed the yellow card to me.” Unfortunately, Roque will miss the upcoming match against Granada as neither the Competition Committee nor the Appeals Committee deemed Barcelona’s appeals worthy.

In just a few weeks in La Liga, the Brazilian forward learned a valuable lesson, one imparted by Martínez Munuera on the field: “Here is not like in Brazil.”