Sp. Braga is actively working to shield its record-breaking signing, Pau Víctor, from immense pressure as he navigates a goal drought, a situation the player is also addressing through personal psychological support.
Coach Carlos Vicens confirmed the club’s efforts to mitigate external pressure on the 23-year-old forward, who has not scored in nearly two months. Vicens, speaking on the Spanish channel Movistar, emphasized the player’s need to disregard his historic transfer fee.
“We are trying to take the pressure off him in that regard,” Vicens stated. “He is a normal kid who wants to work, do well, and adapted quickly to the dressing room. Everyone welcomed him with open arms.”
Vicens added that Víctor “is working very well day by day and needs to be oblivious to the fact that he is the most expensive signing in the club’s history.” The coach expressed confidence in Víctor’s long-term success.
“We are all working to improve his performance day by day,” Vicens continued. “He has everything he needs to succeed at this club: he has the intelligence, the work rate, the versatility… It’s just a question of time until he ends up delivering the performance we all expect from him.”
Víctor himself revealed he is working with a psychologist to cope with the demands of professional football. In an episode released this week by Spanish content creator ‘Archie Ted,’ the player stated, “I am working with a psychologist to be more competitive, more of a leader, and not let pressure affect me.”
Sp. Braga paid approximately $12.9 million to Barcelona for Víctor, making him the most expensive acquisition in the club’s history. This fee surpassed the previous record of approximately $11.8 million for Dorgeles.
Despite the significant investment and high expectations, Víctor has netted three goals this season. His last goal came nearly two months ago, during the second leg of the Europa League playoff against Lincoln Red Imps. Two of his three goals were against the Gibraltar-based team, with the other scored against Tondela in the opening Liga Betclic match.
The ‘Archie Ted’ episode, titled ’24 hours with a professional footballer,’ was filmed around the time of Sp. Braga’s home defeat to Nacional. During the program, Víctor also expressed his ambition to win a cup this season and noted that “the Europa League would be beautiful.”