At FC Barcelona, Bojan Krkic was considered one of the greatest talents ever and the next Lionel Messi. Now he has ended his career at the age of 32.
Barcelona – Bojan Krkic was once considered one of the greatest talents on the planet, but he was rarely able to live up to the huge expectations in the course of his eventful career. Now the noble technician has hung up his football boots at the age of 32.
At FC Barcelona, Bojan Krkic (32, right) performed magic alongside Lionel Messi (35). © CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP
“My time has come. I’m here to announce that I’m retiring from my career,” said the former Spain international during an event broadcast by FC Barcelona club TV.
With the Catalans, the dribbling artist went through the famous youth academy “La Masia” at the beginning of the millennium before making the leap to the professionals at the tender age of 17.
Bojan was quickly compared to Lionel Messi (35), who had conquered the football world on a similar path just a few years earlier. Since the playing styles of the two exceptional talents were similar, “the new Messi” was quickly born.
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In his debut season in 2007/08 he immediately hinted at his huge potential with ten goals and three assists in 31 league appearances, but ultimately the burden of being designated heir to the throne of ‘La Pulga’ proved too great.
Now the footballer has spoken to his mother, looked back on his career and made the final decision.
He is very grateful to Barca, but for a while he had felt that the moment had come to draw the line. You have to “be realistic,” said the 32-year-old.
Bojan Krkic announced his resignation on FC Barcelona’s club broadcaster
Bojan Krkic won the Champions League with FC Barcelona
Bojan Krkic (32, right) made 85 competitive appearances for Stoke City between 2014 and 2019. Only for FC Barcelona (163) was he more often on the lawn. © EPA/GERRY PENNY
In his home region, the native Catalan with Serbian roots still experienced the best years from a sporting point of view and won two Champions League titles and three Spanish championships, even if he was denied the really big breakthrough despite repeated strong attempts.
As Bojan later in the interview with the British Guardian confessed that he was suffering from anxiety attacks at the time. “I felt weak and sick all day long, I felt a pressure that never went away,” said the former shooting star.
In 2011 he was transferred to AS Roma in Italy, where he later tried his hand at AC Milan. Temporary flashes of genius alternated too often with completely pale performances, Krkic just couldn’t get any consistency in his game.
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The attacking player joined Stoke City in the English Premier League in 2014 via Ajax Amsterdam. In the “Potters”, the filigree technician mostly fought against relegation, but was initially one of the top performers.
Bojan Krkic played for Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga
Bojan Krkic (32) scored his only Bundesliga goal against Bayern Munich. © Sven Hoppe/dpa
Nevertheless, he was loaned to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in Germany in the winter of 2017. He contributed a goal and an assist in eleven Bundesliga games, but the 05ers “didn’t have the opportunity to present a purchase option”, as Rouven Schröder (47) put it at the time.
After another loan to Deportivo Alaves and some second division football on the island with Stoke, Bojan was drawn to CF Montréal in the US MLS.
Most recently, he was in Japan at the former Podolski club Vissel Kobe alongside Andrés Iniesta (38).
