SportMob – Top Facts about Bojan Krkic, Formerly Thought to Be the Next Messi (2024)

Wed 12 January 2022 | 5:30

This article, titled the Top Facts about Bojan, is going to be about the personal life of the footballer as well as a summary of his career.

Many people expected Bojan Krkic to establish himself as a first-team regular for years when he originally arrived in Barcelona. After all, when he scored against Villarreal, the little playmaker made history as Barcelona's youngest player to score a league goal. It wasn't meant to be for the hometown boy, despite his spectacular start.

Bojan departed the club in 2011 after four seasons and joined Roma. In the years that followed, the Spaniard had a string of poor loan experiences, ending in his most recent move to Vissel Kobe in Japan.

He is capable of playing a variety of positions in the front line, although he is most effective as the team's primary attacking midfielder. The 31-year-old enjoys the flexibility he has in that position. Bojan is able to play between the lines and create opportunities for his teammates by using his vision. When the winger is constantly moving and engaging with teammates, he is at his best.

He is a dangerous player with the ball at his feet, but it is his off-the-ball mobility that makes him a valuable player. When the Spaniard is not in possession, he moves in and out of small spaces on a regular basis. Bojan is rarely static, whether he's coming near to help his teammates or stretching the pitch fully.

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The forward/wingerrecognizes that creating space creates opportunities, for himself as well as his teammates. Bojan's movement after he makes a pass, on the other hand, is possibly more amazing. After passing the ball to a teammate, heis exceptionally quick to unmark himself and is usually open for a return ball.

Top Facts about BojanKrkic you need to know

Have a look at these quick facts before you start reading his background and personal story.

Quick Facts

  • Full Name:

    Bojan KrkicPerez

  • Nicknames:

    Kicky

  • Date of Birth:

    28 August 1990

  • Place of Birth:

    Linyola, Spain

  • Age:

    31

  • Nationality:

    Spanish

  • Height:

    1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)

  • Weight:

    65kg

  • Marital Status:

    Unmarried

  • Girlfriend:

    N/A

  • Market Value:

    $1.7M

  • Position:

    Forward / Winger

  • Current Team:

    Vissel Kobe

  • Jersey Number:

    9

BojanUpbringing Years and Early Success

Bojan Krkic Perez was born in Linyola, Spain, on August 28, 1990, to a Serbian father, Bojan Krkic Sr., who played professional football for OFK Beograd in Serbia.

Football has always been a passion of his since he was able to walk. Indeed, his father, Bojan Sr., once pinpointed the exact moment when he first felt his little son had a special talent. As he puts it:

“I will never forget. I ran a youth football club in Catalonia. Bojan was only five and he came along to games.

One day, we were one short to play seven-a-side and one of the coaches who is my close friend said, Let’s put your son in.

Bojan was dressed in a Barca kit, the same colors as our team. The first time he gets the ball he starts dribbling towards his own goal and took a shot to the goal!

We are shouting, Bojan, stop, stop! don’t run hard! don’t shoot hard, don’t hurt your feet!!! Indeed, that was his first experience in football. It got better.”

It was a brilliant play. That day, against kids two years older, Bojan netted three goals. He was quickly dubbed the top player in the game, and then the entire region.

Martinez Vilaseca, a scout for

FC Barcelona

, came calling and knocking at the door after being named the greatest player in the Spanish Linyola municipality, one of the Top Facts about Bojan.

Bojan joined FC Barcelona's academy before anyone knew what was going on. Vilaseca, a scout for FC Barcelona, once said:

“Little Bojan came to my summer camp in Andorra aged seven and I got on the phone with the club and said, You have to watch this kid.

He was clever, fast, and with an incredible sense of how to score goals. He demonstrated qualities that you don’t see in senior players.”

Bojan's improvement at Barcelona was unprecedented. 'He scored seven goals in his first training session at Barcelona,' his father continued.

From 1999 to 2006, the kid played for Barcelona's youth levels, scoring over 900 goals against other minor teams.

Several accolades were given to him. With his father present, Bojan receivedanaward at a training camp in Andorra when he was a child.

He was also named the best marksman ever developed by FC Barcelona's youth system (La Masia). It was just a matter of time before his parents moved to the big city.

Bojan's maternal grandparents moved in permanently to protect him from the big city's cultural differences.

His popularity led him to become a modelwhile he was still playing football, another one of the Top Facts about Bojan. With his nicemakeup, little Bojan was a charming model.

Even as he multitasked into modeling, his football career went on without a hitch. After rising through the youth ranks, the football lover began his senior career at Barcelona.

His early promise saw him shatter Lionel Messi's record by making his first-team debut at the age of 17 years and 19 days.

Bojan shone as a teenager under the mentorship of Frank Rijkaard, alongside

Lionel Messi

, Xavi, and Thierry Henry.

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What Happened to the Prodigy?

Bojan's arrival in Barcelona coincided with the club's first season without a trophy, which caused Catalonians to grieve. It was a time when the dressing room was a tough environment.

His father, Bojan Snr, stated that they were international stars such as Ronaldinho, Etoo, and others. They noticed a young boy starting games.

When Ronaldinho was on the bench, Bojan would takehis place. You can onlyimagine, right? It's not easy.

It got quite difficult because Bojan was not well-liked by everyone, one of the

Top Facts about Bojan.

However, with high expectations comes enormous pressure, which Bojan was unable to handle.

He was called up to the Spain squad, but he withdrewdue to a panic attack, according to reports, another one of the Top Facts about Bojan.

He was invited up for Euro 2008, but he declined once more. He stated that he was:

“physically and emotionally shattered at that time”. The pressure was being heaped on very young shoulders as someone whom fans felt hated for benching Ronaldinho.

“Overnight, I couldn’t even walk down the street,” Bojan said. “I couldn’t go to a birthday party or to the cinema.”

He attempted to continue attending school, but it was difficult. The photographers were present every day; it was crazy.

The footballer ended up doing all of his work on the internet. The night before the matches, he studied for his exams.

There was a new man in control by the start of the 2008/09 season. The departure of the Dutch manager was a major setback for Krkic.

“Rijkaard had complete trust in me,” Bojan said. “He has a great personality. I had a relationship with him that I haven’t had with anyone else.”

Krkic slid down the pecking order under

Pep Guardiola

, making fewer and fewer appearances and having less and less of an effect when he did.

This resulted in a split between him and Guardiola, and after two more poor seasons, Krkic left the club without saying goodbye in 2011, one of the Top Facts about Bojan. As his father once put it:

“In the end, Bojan asked to leave for Roma because Guardiola broke a promise that he would play some part in the Champions League final at Wembley.”

Leaving Barcelona

Roma appeared to be the obvious choice.

Luis Enrique

, the man who had replaced Guardiola as manager of the Barcelona B squad, was in charge, and the club's owners were eager for the team to play in a manner that Krkic was well acquainted with.

Bojan was purchased for €12 million by Italian club Roma on July 22, 2011. The deal included a buyback clause that gaveBarcelona the opportunity to re-sign Bojan in 2012 or make him obligatory in 2013, with Roma paying an additional €28 million to keep him.

He made his unofficial debut against Vasas in Budapest on August 3, 2011. On October 1, 2011, he scored his first goal for Roma against Atalanta, thanks to an assist from Daniele De Rossi.

The forwardhad plenty of opportunities to shine at

Roma

. In his first season, he made 33 appearances, more than any other player, and he did it in streaks, scoring seven goals in the process.

His form, on the other hand, was inconsistent, and he struggled to make an impact in games, one of the

Top Facts about Bojan.

Simple substitutions were frequently rejected, and he was immediately eclipsed by other members of the squad.

His lack of strength, which was not an issue in Spain, slowed him down, and questions about his mental strength surfaced once more.

“There are a lot of strong personalities in Serie A and Bojan wasn’t one of them,” saidSusy Campanale, an Italian football correspondent.

The brilliant player was regarded as a reserved individual who lacked self-assurance.

Luis Enrique left Roma at the end of his first season, and Krkic quickly followed him. Borjan opted to give a loan transfer to

Milan

a shot.

He only started nine games and made 14 appearances from the bench, scoring three goals. He had an effect on the Rossoneri in some way.

However, there was one problem. It was a condition in his contract that if he made a specific amount of appearances, Milan would have to buy him out permanently.

Unfortunately, Bojan was unable to join. He returned to his former club Barcelona for €13 million after the 2012–13 season in Italy.

He went on loan to

Ajax

after not receivingmore minutes in Barcelona, and he helped them win their 33rd title and fourth in a row.

Bojan made his debut for his new club against Waalwijk in a pre-season friendly on July 13, 2013.

Ajax won 5–1 at the Mandemakers Stadion after he was substituted in for Danny Hoesen in the 60th minute, assisting Boban Lazic on the game's final goal in the closing minutes.

On 19 July 2013, he produced his first goal for Ajax in a pre-season friendly match against Werder Bremen, scoring the second goal for Ajax in the 43rd minute of Ajax's 3–2 away triumph in Germany.

The Spanishearned his first trophy with Ajax on July 27, 2013, when he defeated AZ Alkmaar 3–2 after extra time in the Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup).

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He started the game on the right-wing and played for 61 minutes before being replaced by Lucas Andersen as Ajax won the Dutch Super Cup for the eighth time.

Constant Moves to Different Clubs

Bojan saw an opportunity to achieve something extraordinary with Mark Hughes as he sought a fresh start.

When Hughes was at Man City, he attempted to sign Bojan by contacting him. He also sought to sign himwhen he was at Fulham.

So when the 31-year-old wascalled toStoke again, he stated that he wanted to be at a club where he is valued and treated well, one of the Top Facts about Bojan.

"My history and love for Barcelona will always remain," Bojan said, "but life moves on."

Bojan signed a four-year contract with

Premier League

side Stoke City for €1.8 million on July 22, 2014. In 2016–17, the Linyola-bornstruggled for playing time under Hughes, starting just five league matches in six months, and he revealed in January 2017 that he would be willing to leave Stoke in order to play more often.

On August 7, 2019, Bojan signed a contract with the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer that ranuntil the conclusion of the 2020 season.

He made his debut four days later in a 2–3 loss against Chicago Fire, coming on in the 63rd minute to replace Shamit Shome.

On August 25, he scored his first goal in 11 months with a 25-yard strike to start a 1–2 loss away to Toronto FC in the Canadian Classique.

The Spanish forward/wingerwas dropped out of Impact's CONCACAF Champions League team in December 2020 when Impact declined to activate their option to keep him for another year.

Bojan joined

Vissel Kobe

in August 2021. He made his debut on September 5, 2021, in a 1–1 tie against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, replacing

Andres Iniesta

in the 75th minute.

He scored his first goal in a 5–1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds on October 2, 2021, after coming on in the 75th minute for Andres Iniesta to score the game's last goal in the 84th minute.

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Bojan Personal & Love Life

Bojan, who was 18 at the time, thought he was mature enough to be in a relationship. Blanca Cusine was the girl he admired at the moment and wished to keep close to his heart.

Blanca accepted when he took the daring step of asking her out, and the two became strong lovers, one of the Top Facts about Bojan.

Blanca Cusine and Bojanbegan dating in 2008. Apart from her, we haven't seen the footballer date anybody else, and we have no idea if they are still together or if he is currently single.

Understanding his personality strengths and weaknesses allows you to get to know him better. He is devoted to his relationship, analytical, caring, diligent, and self-aware.

He could be introverted, have trouble coping with pressure and criticism, be concerned about losing his shape, and be unduly critical of himself and others.

He likes Animals, healthy food, books, nature, cleanliness, and dislikesRudeness, being criticized by too many people, being pressured, taking center stage, and mediocrity.

In conclusion, the soccer playeris someone who is always concerned with the smallest details, and his deep sense of humanity makes him one of the most meticulous footballers ever, another one of the

Top Facts about Bojan.

He lives his life in a diligent manner. Except for his family and close friends, he has a fragile heart that can become closed to the outside world.

We would also like to mention the fact that he was born in 1990, making him a Horse in the Chinese Zodiac culture. People born in the Horse year have a nice, friendly, and easygoing demeanor.

They are exceptionally easy to get along with since they have the capacity to instantly put people at comfort with their good humor and generosity of spirit.

Horses are drawn to jobs that require them to communicate with others. The Horse represents management, leadership, and decision-making.

Horses despise being told what to do. They may succeed in any profession that does not require isolation or meditation because they are extroverts who need to be surrounded by people who admire and flatter them.

The Horse can be a little self-centered at times, but that doesn't mean it isn't concerned about other people's problems.

Horses are crafty rather than intellectual, which is perhaps why most people born in the horse yearslack confidence.

Bojan Family

Bojan hails from a vast family with origins in both Serbia and Spain. His family pays him frequent visits by gathering in his England home.

The 31-year-oldreturned home for Christmas when he was at Roma and Milan, but football continues in England.

Christmas is frequently brought to him by his parents and relatives, one of the Top Facts about Bojan.

They'd leave the Barcelona airport with a hefty suitcase full of food and the otherBojan's favorite delicacies, including his favorite crackers and plenty of Spanish ham.

His parents, Perez and Bojan Krkic Sr, are occasionally accompanied by their son's aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Also, an interesting fact is that he and

Cesc Fabregas

are apparently c;ose friends. "They are close, from the academy in Barcelona but also playing for Catalonia," his mother says of Bojan and Cesc Fabregas. Bojan's mother is a constant source of inspiration for her son.

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SportMob – Top Facts about Bojan Krkic, Formerly Thought to Be the Next Messi (2024)

FAQs

How is Bojan related to Messi? ›

Messi and Bojan are 4th cousins? Players you probably never knew were related| All Football.

Who was called the next Messi? ›

Highlights
21 players named 'The Next Lionel Messi'
Juan IturbeCerro Porteno
Alen HaliliovicFortuna Sittard
Jean Marie DongouWithout club
Giovani Dos SantosRetired
18 more rows
Feb 22, 2024

What did Messi do when he was 13 years old? ›

At age 13 Messi and his family relocated to Barcelona, and he began playing for FC Barcelona's under-14 team.

Who is Lionel Messi cousin? ›

Emanuel Biancucchi is the cousin of Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (the son of his mother's sister) and the younger brother of retired forward Maximiliano Biancucchi. He also has Italian citizenship, and is represented by his uncle (Jorge Messi, Lionel's father).

Did Messi have a cousin? ›

The Argentinian forward Maximiliano Biancucchi arrived at La Máquina ahead of the 2010 Bicentenario campaign, and is none other than the cousin of Lionel Messi.

Who is the youngest Messi? ›

Ciro Messi Roccuzzo, 5

Messi and Roccuzzo welcomed their youngest, Ciro, on March 10, 2018. In an October 2022 interview with People, Messi shared a little about Ciro's personality. “He copies Mateo a lot, and they go against me a lot,” he said.

Is Messi a Godfather? ›

In fact, Messi himself is his godfather, thanks to his strong relationship with Aguero, putting Benjamin in the privileged position of having family ties to three of the most prolific players in football history.

Will Messi play again in 2026? ›

Lionel Messi is not ruling out another bid for World Cup glory with Argentina in 2026 despite acknowledging that time is working against him. Lionel Messi is not ruling out another bid for World Cup glory with Argentina in 2026 despite acknowledging that time is working against him.

Is Messi coming back for 2026? ›

Lionel Messi says he is focused on playing at next year's Copa América but doesn't rule out appearing at 2026 World Cup | CNN.

Is Messi and Ronaldo over? ›

The rivalry is over,” Ronaldo said. “It was good, a healthy rivalry that spectators liked a lot. Whoever likes Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't have to hate Messi or vice-versa because they're both very good. They changed the history of football, and they keep on doing it.”

Who is Messi sister? ›

At home, he suffered from homesickness after his mother moved back to Rosario with his brothers and little sister, María Sol, while he stayed in Barcelona with his father. After a year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002.

At what age Messi won his? ›

Lionel Messi was also one of the youngest winners. He did that in 2009, aged 22 years and 160 days when he won the first of his seven Ballons d'Or.

How old can Messi play until? ›

By the time the 2026 World Cup happens in Canada, Mexico and the United States,Lionel Messi will turn 39 years old. In any other footballer's lifespan as a professional, they mostly tend to retire at 35 or 36 years old.

Who is Messi's grandfather? ›

What siblings does Messi have? ›

Growing up in a tight-knit, football-loving family, "Leo" developed a passion for the sport from an early age, playing constantly with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, both of whom became professional footballers.

Are Bojan and Bogdan siblings? ›

No, they are not related. No, they are not close friends.

Did Bojan play with Messi? ›

Bojan Krkic played with some outstanding players during his 17-year professional career, including Lionel Messi, but the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was not the best.

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