Every Sunday in this series we want to highlight players who have taken unusual paths. We would like to tell stories of athletes whose career either got stuck in the subjunctive, who changed radically at a given point in time or who were and are otherwise extraordinary: Be it that they decided to live a completely different life after football, even during their professional time did not correspond to the usual football cliché or did not exploit their potential for various reasons. In any case, we want to talk about (ex) footballers who are worth keeping on the radar or (re)focusing on. We analyze the circumstances, ask questions and stimulate thought. This episode takes a close look at former Barcelona hope Bojan Krkić…
Carlo Ancelotti could only stare into space: Bojan dropped the ball in front of his feet in the penalty area, he took aim, the shot went through the legs of goalkeeper Ulreich and Mainz 05 had already scored the lead against the great FC Bayern in the third minute. Ultimately, the two teams split 2-2 after 90 minutes in April five years ago and the early goal of the then number 9 should not be a broken leg for the eventual German champions nor an overwhelming success for the goalscorer: the goal was Bojan’s only one in the German Bundesliga. The once La Masia jewel rejoined Stoke City after his loan ended in the summer of 2017 before being loaned out again. The 31-year-old now plays for Vissel Kobe in Japan.
Messi’s crown prince, record breaker, 100 million man.
Bojan Krkić has played in seven countries, scored in seven leagues; he can call himself a two-time Champions League winner, three-time Spanish champion and FIFA Club World Champion, but the expectations that were placed in the Serbian-born kicker were once so great that he was believed to be even more capable: none other than the “new Messi” should have been Bojan, even though he is only three years younger than the exceptional Argentinian kicker. Why nothing came of it should be explained here.
“Football is the most important thing for me. I’m very ambitious, I want to play and enjoy football. I can do that in any team.”, Bojan told Mainz Fan-TV after his debut goal in the Bundesliga. This passion for football was evident early on in the future legionnaire, as he had a hereditary predisposition: Bojan Krkić Senior was a professional in his Yugoslav homeland and a junior national player. His offspring’s talent was so outstanding that he entered Barcelona’s youth academy at the age of nine La Masia and scored a total of between 800 and 900 goals for different Blaugrana vintage teams over the following seven years. Bojan junior surpassed a record Lionel Messi – not for the last time. At the time, there were rumors in Barcelona that a new world footballer was ante portas, because there was no better young player in his age group.
After Bojan played for Barcelona B in 2006/07, the attacking player signed his first professional contract. Substituting in La Liga aged 17 years and 19 days, he again broke Messi’s record, three days later becoming Barcelona’s youngest kicker in a CL match and also becoming the youngest FCB player to score in a league match had. The international football world took notice of him for the first time because Bojan’s technique was at its finest, he was fast, agile and agile. Comparisons abounded the flea and (funnily enough) the two – supposedly distantly related – men with their soft features and medium-length hair also looked alike.
Having already fired Spain’s U-17s to the European Championship title, Bojan seemed to be on the right track in this area as well. In February 2008 he was due to make his debut for the senior team in a friendly against France and – surprise – would have broken another age record. But the association announced that the player could not play due to a gastrointestinal disease. Ten years later, Bojan stated that another physical affliction made his debut for the Red Fury had prevented: He suffered from anxiety attacks. His problems started with the public pressure that came with his first professional appearances: “I was at the U-17 World Cup in South Korea in July and nobody knew me. Then I came back and all of a sudden I couldn’t walk down the street.”he recalled and went on to report: “Everything was fine, but at some point your head gets full and then your body says, ‘Stop!'” He was constantly dizzy and sick. Bojan couldn’t play, so he canceled national coach Aragonés for the 2008 European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland.
“Football doesn’t care.”
Rumors were circulating at the time that Barca’s prodigy was lazy and would rather go on holiday than to join the national team. The local press ran the headline in early summer 2008: “Spain wants Bojan, but Bojan says no.” The player who was being treated was then insulted by fans. The newspaper report came from those close to the national team, although those responsible knew about his condition, the player later said. Bojan felt left alone. In 2018, in an interview with the Guardian that it is difficult to be exhibited as a young player in a society where envy reigns supreme; everyone has an opinion about you. This fact was to become more and more of a brake on his career, but nobody – apart from Bojan – knew about the fight against his inner demons.
After ending his first season at Barca’s senior team with yet another record (most goals in debut season), Bojan was expected to establish himself in the 2008/09 season, but although the forward still played well, he managed it rarely in the starting lineup. In December 2010 he extended his contract until 2015, the club continued to believe in him and set the transfer fee at 100 million euros. Ultimately, however, the attacker was not able to break through to become one of the Catalans’ regulars. This was also due to the fact that coach Guardiola did not put his trust in him: first he let David Villa and then Alexis Sanchez buy. After the latter’s signing, Bojan was fed up and insisted on being allowed to move through the club at the Blaugrana management level. The decisive factor for him was that, despite Guardiola’s promise, he was not used in the 2011 CL final. In retrospect, however, this quick shot was wrong, he admitted four years ago: “Maybe I should have been more patient but my club moves have always been genuinely motivated because I wanted to play.”
AS Roma paid a little more than an eighth of the transfer fee once set for the Serbian-Spanish footballer and used Bojan mainly on the wing. He scored seven times and was loaned out (with an option to buy) to AC Milan. However, the northern Italians gave up his services after one season and Barcelona were forced to buy back the ‘prodigal son’. In fact, things didn’t go badly in Serie A: Bojan didn’t play in his usual position as a hanging striker, but on the wing, but solidly and was able to score a few goals. However, it was his reputation that stood in the way of further engagement: the Italians would have expected a high-flyer, a savior who would turn the games alone. “When I turned pro, I was ‘the new Messi’. If you compare me to Messi, yes, what kind of career do you expect?”asked Bojan.
Back in Catalonia there were no plans to return the striker in 2013, instead FC Barcelona were targeting a new loan. This time Dutch clubs came forward and Bojan signed for Ajax after Johan Cruyff encouraged him to come to Amsterdam. He won the Dutch Supercup with Ajax before making a fresh start on the island in 2014. Trainer Mark Hughes guided him to Stoke, where – after a short period of adaptation – he seemed to feel comfortable with the physical PL kick. By his own admission, the striker was able to enjoy the essence and purity of football and thrived in cold England. In the fall and winter of 2014, Bojan played outstanding games against the big fish. The professional world wondered whether he would still mature into an absolutely exceptional kicker, but unfortunately a serious knee injury stopped him: His footballing spring was over due to a cruciate ligament rupture.
More patience and sensitivity
After a forced break of six months, Bojan tried to get back on track at Mainz and Deportivo Alavés. When he returns to the Potters had just been relegated from the Premier League: Bojan played one more game in the Championship before his contract was terminated and he went to Canada, where he played for Montreal Impact for a season. In the 2020/21 season, he initially did not find a new club until Lukas Podolski’s ex-employer contacted him. “I had offers from Europe and the US, but Vissel was the best option for me as a person and as a professional.”, he explained his decision to join the club where ex-Barca star Andres Iniesta also plays. Bojan’s career is not over yet, but the now 31-year-old will probably no longer play in a European top league. It remains to be answered whether he failed:
The offensive player sees his career pragmatically: “Each season – sometimes more consistently, sometimes less consistently – I’ve reached my level and done well. People don’t appreciate what you do. People always said about me: ‘Let’s see if Bojan can reach his best level.’ But what is the best level?
In view of his excellent talents, which he had already exploited in his youth, it was indeed possible to expect a career that not even a handful of players experience, but it takes much more than talent to pursue a career à la Messi, Beckenbauer or Pele. You can neither buy nor train luck in the game, freedom from injury or mental strength. Sure, more and more clubs are now also offering psychological help so that their players learn to cope with the pressure of professional business. Still, mental hygiene isn’t high on the list of priorities in the men’s world of football.
Bojan was probably one of those young players who – due to the extraordinary circumstances – would have needed a lot of mental support. The expectation that he would become the “new Messi” should have been curbed by Barcelona and the Spanish FA, because ultimately this framing helped to prevent not only a “new Messi”, but also that Bojan was not that “Bojan “, who also scores goal after goal in professional football.
In addition, Bojan’s personal ambition did not boil on the back burner: He was lured to Amsterdam with the prospect of Champions League appearances instead of “just” wanting to establish himself in a new league or he strived – for the door to the Spanish national team – without considering that a possible double burden could overwhelm him. As a result, Bojan himself made sure that at times there was probably too much pressure on the boiler and he couldn’t play carefree. Finally, his knee injury also came at an awkward time when his career was on the rise again. He himself admitted that he never managed to become a real “Graetzn”: “The higher you get, the more you have to be like that. But whenever I got meaner on the field, there was no stopping me.” he confessed.
Bojan may not have become a FIFA World Player, but he has been part of very successful teams, has numerous club titles to call his own, earns good money and – most importantly – still enjoys playing football. A botched career looks different.
Marie Saturday, abseits.at
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