Former Barcelona Player Vitor Roque Faces Homophobia Allegations

An unpleasant situation for the player.

The young forward could face disciplinary action.

Details: After Palmeiras’ away win against São Paulo, where they scored 3-2, Vitor Roque, a 20-year-old striker, shared a post on Instagram. The post featured an image of a tiger biting a deer, captioned:

“This is Palmeiras: fight until the end and never give up! Thank God for the victory and the goal. We move forward,” he wrote.

Many users on social media labeled this post as homophobic, as the term “veado” can refer to a deer but is also a derogatory term for homosexuality in Portuguese.

Palmeiras responded with an official statement:

“Once we became aware of Vitor Roque’s post early Sunday, Palmeiras’ management spoke to him and emphasized that such comments have no place in football, as they can encourage violence. The player understood and quickly removed the image from his account.”

Despite the quick removal of the post, Roque may have breached Article 243-G of the Brazilian Sports Justice Code (CBJD), which punishes discriminatory actions based on ethnicity, race, gender, and other factors, aimed at promoting dignity and equality in sports. If found guilty, he could face a suspension of 5 to 10 matches.

Reminder: Flaco López excels at Palmeiras and hopes for an Argentina call-up.