Seeing Bojan Krkic (Linyola, 32 years old) from a short distance, it is inevitable not to look back and remember that child prodigy who fell in love with Barcelona. Today, being young for life, he hangs up his boots without rancor. His Blaugrana feeling remains intact despite traveling halfway around the world and transmits the will to lend a hand to kids who, like him in his day, want to make the big leap.
He was seen happy announcing his retirement…
It was a heartfelt decision. Since I arrived in Japan in November, I began to feel that it was time. I wanted to start positioning myself and start thinking about the next chapter.
Why don’t you want to continue playing?
It is not for lack of desire. Retiring is a more sentimental feeling. It is accepting that the experiences you have had for 16 years and that have been very intense on a sporting and personal level have already met and exceeded your expectations. I didn’t want to fool myself with something that was no longer productive for me.
Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
Nothing. One must live and experience. I had to know and live what it meant to be a professional footballer. All the adverse situations that I have overcome are still experiences that have taught me a lot. There is nothing I regret.
Do La Masia footballers have more pressure than outsiders?
There is no more pressure on those at home because those from abroad are also required to win, but I do think that signings are valued more than youth players. But I have always felt very loved.
If I hadn’t been a footballer…
Soccer has always filled me. At the age of 4 he was already running after a ball without knowing what a ball was. If I hadn’t been a soccer player, I would have dedicated myself to playing tennis.
Do idols stop being idols when they are known?
I have never thought that someone has treated me badly. But we always idealize people. When you get to the Barça first team and enter that locker room, the feeling is that you are living a story. Everything is idyllic. And the reality is that it is a professional world in which the idols are very competitive people. There are envy. We are talking about the locker room of one of the best clubs. And you have to go through a process of acceptance of everything.
In his time, talking about mental health was taboo…
Now it is important. The mind is the engine of everything. At the institutional level, much more work is done. But at the same time you must leave one and work on it externally. I do not rule out training to help footballers. It is among my concerns.
He defines himself as a sensitive person. Is soccer prepared for sensitive soccer players?
I like this question… I have never stopped being a sensitive person. What I have done is harden that sensitivity. Also when we are little we are more innocent and we don’t know what it means to be a professional footballer. But being sensitive is not a bad thing. Quite the opposite. It is a virtue that in football you have to know how to manage.
Have you learned to forgive?
Yes. I have never been a spiteful person. I am empathic. I have always wanted to try to understand the reasons for decisions.
So you have already forgiven Guardiola for not taking you out in the 2011 Wembley final?
I always expressed without rancor that as a member, fan and person of the club being able to participate in that Champions League final would have made me happy. But if you get caught up in unpleasant situations or disappointments, you don’t move forward. I have learned to appreciate that I was one of the 18 called up and that I participated in many games. When I look at the cup at home, I feel like I’m a part of that Champions League.
He has played in Spain, Italy, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and Japan. Leaving Barça aside, where did you have the best time?
Within the field in the Premier, I consider it a league where the essence of football is perceived on a day-to-day basis and in matches, both by history and by organization. Their fans are very grateful, at Stoke I lived unforgettable moments. Then, on a personal level, not counting Barcelona, ??I have had good experiences everywhere. Montreal is a fantastic city. Japan is a country to which I will always be grateful, it has been very hard but at the same time very rewarding. I was first locked up there for fifteen days in a room due to the pandemic and I learned to live in the moment. In Rome I really liked being able to understand the Roman mentality, which is very intense. It marked me a lot, even if it was a year.
What about Messi, who is now being talked about a possible return to Barça?
Seen from the outside, as a culé that has been in other countries, we have one of the best clubs in the world that has formed what is considered the best footballer in history. So both parties deserve a common ending. If there is an option for him to return, you have to find a way.
And now what will he do?
I have many illusions. For example, I have a bicycle project called Guava, in the gravel modality, which adapts to all types of surfaces and at the same time combines sport with social activity. In addition, I have trained in sports management in recent years. We are also making a documentary. It is a production of NSN. Here I transmit the experiences of my career, many of them that I have not externalized and that can help the new generations.
You have already spoken with President Laporta, in case your future is also linked to Barça…
That Barça gave me their facilities for my farewell and that the president was already here means a lot to me. Barça for me is a family, it has shaped me as a person and as a footballer, together with my family. I am always open to Barça.
