There was a tiger in the Olympic Stadium. In one of the stranger signing-announcement videos in recent memory, Barcelona confirmed the arrival of teenage striker Vitor Roque - known as 'Tigrinho' - by superimposing a CGI tiger plodding its way through Montujic, the noises of the crowd rather clashing with the comical fake growls of an imagined beast. Still, it proved something of a social-media hit, and riled up a fanbase who were desperate for a January signing.
Roque, when he finally arrived following months of speculation, looked to be the galvanising presence Xavi's struggling side needed. Here was a young, exciting, Brazilian forward, a player who had turned down Real Madrid and was ready to lead Barca into the post-Robert Lewandowski era - starting immediately.
Four months later, though, and Barca fans are still waiting to get much of a glimpse of the 19-year-old. Roque has been a peripheral figure at best in Catalunya, more often a grumpy face on the Blaugrana bench than the elite striker who was compared to Ronaldo Nazario in his homeland. He was supposed to be the superstar in-waiting; instead, Roque has barely had a kick.
And now, there is talk that he could be on his way out of Barcelona - either on loan or permanently - this summer. So what's gone so wrong in such a short space of time?
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