Bojan barcelona biography of martin

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Frank Rijkaard was the coach who finally promoted him to the senior team in 2007-08, and Bojan’s goal against Villarreal in October that season made him the youngest ever goalscorer for the team at the time.

His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. Bojan is always present near the training center and the Johan Cruyff stadium, where the B and some of the club’s youth teams play. Barça also wants Bojan to be a sort of father figure – but also an authority figure – to prevent the club’s most promising players from experiencing the same problems he went through.

The future strong man of Barça?

A particularly important role, especially at a time when the club is in a very tense financial situation and must, more than ever, call on its training center to strengthen the first team.

But between monumental pressure and some mental health concerns, then very tough competition in the Barcelona offensive sector, Bojan failed to find an important place for himself. After having shattered absolutely all the goals records in the club’s youth teams, the pure product of La Masia started with the A’s in 2007, and little by little integrated the first team, where a destiny similar to that of ‘Argentin seemed to be waiting for him.

Wonderkid Bojan guiding Barcelona's next generation

Bojan Krkic has been through many of the highs and lows that football has to offer - from being hyped as the next big thing to suffering a serious injury that hampered his hopes of hitting the heights he was perhaps capable of.

But the former Barcelona wonderkid is now using all of that experience to help guide the next generation of stars, preparing them for both the good times and the bad.

He is back at the club he started his career at, working in a football co-ordinator role at Barcelona, with his primary focus on monitoring the youth at the club's famed La Masia - the youth academy he came through.

Bojan told BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast: "I am quite young at 34, I could still be playing but the decisions you have to make in life sometimes you have to decide, and I decided to stop playing and start a new life in football.

"Right now there are many things to do in this big club, co-ordinate all the young players who come to train with us, to evaluate these young players and see when they can be ready to train with us, and when they have some struggle situations - injured or whatever - to chat with them."

In many ways, Bojan is the perfect person for aspiring footballers to seek guidance from.

He was once dubbed 'the next Lionel Messi' and while for plenty it would be an honour to be compared to one of football's greatest, it is a label that also carries with it a great weight of expectation.

After scoring 900 goals for the Barcelona youth teams, he made his first-team debut at the age of 17 years and 19 days, breaking the record set by Messi.

He went on to score an impressive 12 goals in 48 matches in his first season in senior football, with his displays further enhancing those comparisons with the Argentina star.

But for Bojan, he did not want to be the next Messi - only Bojan.

"I knew what player I was," he added.

"I knew the good things I had, the things I had to work on.

One thing is certain, Bojan is a man who has his work cut out for him. I knew I was not Messi or anyone, I was Bojan. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans.

Playing time was hard to get in a squad featuring the likes of Messi, Henry and Eto’o up front, but Bojan made the most of the chances he did get and actually played in no fewer than 44 games. The youngster who put the little town of Linyola on the map holds the record for goals for the Barça youth teams, 423, and made his senior debut under Frank Rijkaard in 2007.

In 2011 he departed for pastures new and after playing for eight clubs in different countries he hung up in boots in Japan playing for Vissel Kobe in 2023.

There had been talk for years about a hugely promising young striker in the Barça academy.

In 2011, he left Barça and began a long journey which took him through Roma, AC Milan, Ajax and Stoke City, then, through Mainz, Alavés, Impact Montréal and finally Vissel Kobe where he was able to rub shoulders with his former teammate Andrés Iniesta.

The “daddy” of La Masia nuggets

A career marked by instability and physical problems, and he never managed to establish himself despite a few successes, notably at Stoke City.

He’d go on to play in seven different countries for Roma, Milan, Ajax, Stoke City, Mainz, Alavés, Montreal and finally Vissel Kobe of the J-League when he was 32 years old.

Honours:

3 Ligas: (2009, 2010 & 2011)
1 Cup: (2009)
2 Champions Leagues: (2009 & 2011)
1 European Super Cup (2009)
1 Clubs World Cup (2009)
2 Spanish Super Cups (2009 & 2010) 

Youth international for Spain at various levels.

There were no titles that season, but the year after, 2008-09, Pep Guardiola led the team to the treble. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.

And it’s not just about watching the matches on television, since Bojan also meets with the managers/coaches of the clubs where Barcelona players are loaned to get as much data and information on the players’ development as possible. When Ibrahimovic and David Villa joined the club, Bojan found it even harder to get on the pitch, and after 166 official appearances, 41 goals and 10 major titles, he decided it was time to move on.

But the older ones surely remember it.

"It was difficult to find a way."