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Ivan Rakitic has been one of the brightest players for Barcelona in recent timesWhen you are asked to fill the void left behind a player of the calibre of Xavi Hernandez, the smart money will always be on you wilting under the weight of expectations. Xavi is a once in a generation brand of playmaker, the sort that can define a playing style with his presence crucial to it such that without him, the chances of failure shoot up.Xavi was the brain behind the execution of Barcelona’s famed Tiki Taka philosophy, death by football to the extent to which opponents are submitted into surrender by simply keeping and distributing the ball such that every facet of your defense is tested. The man who controls the tempo of the way the ball is played is key and Barca were expected to feel the loss of Xavi in more ways than one.Step up, Ivan Rakitic, an unassuming fellow fresh from a career-defining stint at the Andalucian outfit in Sevilla that surged to prominence with back to back Europa League conquests across 2012 to 2014. Brought in to pursue the operation of replacing Xavi, a task once entrusted to La Masia products, Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara, Rakitic had big boots to fill.After a season of learning and settling in, Rakitic has since gone on to become crucial to Barcelona’s revised style under Luis Enrique. Ivan with his energy, concentration and work rate in addition to his impeccable distribution ability has become a key cog in the domineering Barca machine. So, do we really know him all that well?Here are seven things you should know about a player many would say is a cult hero in the making at the Camp Nou.
#1 Started his career in Switzerland
Born in Aargau in Switzerland, Rakitic went on to rise through the ranks at FC Basel after initially playing for FC Mohlin-Riburg. Playing through Basel’s youth squads, he became the focus of attention for the Swiss footballing associations, who keenly followed his career trajectory with interest.
The hope was that in Rakitic, the Swiss had another gem to add to their blossoming generation of talented footballers. He made his debut for the Basel senior team in 2005 aged 17. He went on to establish Basel with pedigree across his second season making 33 appearances which made the big teams in Europe sit up and take notice.
During this time, he turned heads across the board with his keen ability on the ball. It was after the season ended that Ivan took the next step, signing for the esteemed squad at Schalke in the German Bundesliga, the club where he went on to make a big name for himself leading to interest from all over Europe’s stalwarts.
#2 Chose Croatia over Switzerland
Ivan Rakitic was poised to continue his development in the Swiss youth teams before expectedly progressing to the Swiss senior team to join a golden generation of young Swiss footballers naturalised from non-Swiss heritage.
He had indeed represented Switzerland from the U-15s right through to the U-21s and a keenly observant Swiss Footballing body was almost certain that he’d be one of theirs in time.
That is when Ivan did something completely unexpected. Born and brought up in Switzerland to Croat parents, Ivan was qualified to play with the Croatian national setup. Ivan rejected a national call up from Switzerland and waited for his decision on the nation he wanted to represent. He didn’t wait long as then Croatia head coach, Slaven Bilic came calling and he agreed to represent them in the blink of an eye.
#3 Rejected a chance to move to Chelsea
It was no secret that Basel had a prodigious talent in Ivan Rakitic rising through the ranks and when such things are open secrets, you tend to get an attention from a lot of big clubs. It was no different with Ivan who had the chance, if he so wanted, to complete a move to Chelsea and maybe even Juventus.
However, the young Croat deliberated against it with his family. Chelsea will of course, believe that they did miss out on an extremely talented player who could’ve been wearing a blue jersey today, but it wasn’t just them, young Ivan believed strongly in the need to develop properly as a player and stay close to his family in his teenage years and hence a move was never plausible for him at the time. When asked about the matter, Rakitic had this to say:
"At that time, when I was 15, 16, I decided it was important to have my family. It might not have been the best decision for everyone but it was the right one for me. Maybe when I decided to stay in Basel it might have been a bad decision but it was my decision. Or maybe I will go to Chelsea and my father would have said 'no, stay at home'.
"It was important for me to say 'the money is there but the money will come with time, also'. There was another player like me and he went and today he is playing in the fourth division in Switzerland."
#4 First to win the Europa and Champions League successively with different teams
While many would have such a claim to fame by default if the stars were to align and his teams in subsequent seasons were to grasp the two golden trophies of Europe in succession, Ivan’s achievement differs in the fact that he was the driving force behind both campaigns.
In 2013-14, Ivan Rakitic captained Sevilla to the UEFA Europa League trophy and was Man of the Match in that final which Sevilla won on penalties against Benfica. The next year, Barca powered by Messi, Neymar and Suarez rampaged across Europe to storm into the final which they won against Juventus with Ivan Rakitic once again pulling strings behind the trio.
For both the campaigns, he was chosen in the respective tournament’s team of the tournament. In both years, he was in the La Liga team of the season as well. So, overall it is easy to figure that he was an important part of both campaigns that led to the achievement.
#5 First Croat to play for Barcelona after Robert Prosinecki
It speaks volumes of how far Ivan Rakitic has progressed in his career that he is the first Croat to play for Barcelona since the cult hero Robert Prosinecki. Alen Halilovic quickly followed up on Rakitic’s arrival with a first team appearance in 2015 but Barca had not seen a Croat don the famed jersey at the Camp Nou since the prodigious and somewhat enigmatic Prosinecki played for Johan Cruyff’s side in 1995-96.
Prosinecki was quite the similar player to what Ivan Rakitic right now seems to be. Robert Prosinecki, however, played through the last stages of his prime and many would argue even past it for Barcelona whereas Ivan is going to perceptibly play his best years at the Camp Nou way beyond the two years that the older Croat put in.
Ivan also is an indispensable part of the Barcelona first team whereas Prosinecki was not exactly a mainstay in the Barca team that employed him.
#6 Met his wife the day he signed for Sevilla
This could be the most important fact of all. Here is a man who has made it clear many a time that he is dedicated enough to find a 25th hour in a day to dedicate to football if he so needs it. He took it quite seriously when he was set to sign for Sevilla as he managed to make all his marriage plans in Sevilla itself on the very day he signed for the Andalucian outfit.
The story goes that he and his brother were excited about him signing for Sevilla so much so that they couldn’t sleep that night. So they decided to visit the lounge cum bar and ordered coffees for themselves. As it would so happen, cupid struck the moment the young waitress at the lounge served him the coffee.
He went on to marry Raquel Mauri after pursuing her for a long time by constantly coming back to the lounge till she agreed to go out with him. Hollywood could take a cue from how that went. In his own words, the day he met her transpired something like this:
“It was January 27 and so there were still four days left of the transfer market. Another team called me and were prepared to lay-on a private plane for me to go and sign for them. I said to my brother: “No, I’ve given my word to the Sevilla president; I’m going to sign the contract tomorrow… and I’m going to marry that waitress.”
#7 Croatias Player of the Year 2015
On many accounts, 2014-2015 has been a special year for Ivan Rakitic. You don’t win the treble and end up in the Domestic League and European Competition League’s selection of the best 11 players all season. However, the one prize that will matter to him the most is the one his country has awarded him with.
Croatia is a footballing nation known for its rich heritage in players gifted technically beyond measure. Being christened Croatia Player of the Year is a special moment in the football story of Ivan Rakitic.
Not least because he beat a simply sublime Luka Modric to it but also for the fact that it welcomes him to a league of winners that includes the likes of Zvonimir Boban, Davor Suker, Robert Prosinecki, Ivica Olic and Luka Modric all of whom went on to achieve greatness in the realm of football making for the best of their generation.
It is some footballing story that Ivan Rakitic has unfolded for himself over time and beyond a shadow of a doubt, we are on the brink of seeing his best, which is yet to come.
