LALIGA
Bojan Krkic returns to Barcelona: what position does he have and what will his role be?
Barça thought they had another Lionel Messi on their hands when Bojan broke into the first team at the age of just 17.
At his official unveiling as Barcelona’s new sporting director, Deco announced the club’s new sporting structure, which he himself will head up. One of the most eye-catching revelations was the return to the club of Bojan Krkic, once considered one of the most talented youngsters the club had ever produced.
Bojan Krkic: once considered “the new Messi”
The winger’s Barça breakthrough came hot on the heels of that of Lionel Messi, three years his senior, and there were high hopes that Bojan could go on to have a similar career to the Argentine. Under Frank Rijkaard, the attacker scored 10 league goals in his debut season and went on to to net 41 times in all competitions for the club, winning three league titles and two Champions Leagues.
However, he eventually fell down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola and left Camp Nou for Roma at the age of just 21. Following a temporary spell at Milan, he then made a bizarre return to Catalonia in 2013 and was immediately loaned out to Ajax, not playing a single minute for Barça before leaving again, this time for Premier League side Stoke City.
He stayed in England for five years but, hindered by injuries, found himself in and out of the team, and he ended his playing career at the age of only 32 after uneventful spells in Germany, the United States and Japan.
Bojan’s role at the “new” Barcelona
Now, Bojan is back at Barcelona in the role of “Soccer Area Co-ordinator”, which will see him act as loans manager, tracking the progress of young - and some established - players who have gone out on loan.
“We spoke with Xavi about how to track players who are on loan at other clubs and it’s something we’ve haven’t done well. The manager doesn’t have time, he has matches to focus on. We have to be the ones to give him answers”, Deco explained.
The former Portugal international added that Bojan’s role will also see him work closely to support the club’s young players, with more and more of them starting to break through into the first team, just as he did back in 2007.
“He know what La Masia is all about, as well as what it’s like to be a player that everyone is talking about. We know it’s not easy. Bojan went through it all at this club. He won, but he also struggled. He has a lot to offer in this role. We have great players, but we have to look after them, be aware of their needs and support them”.