Ivan Rakitic (Rheinfelden, Switzerland; 36 years old) picks up the phone from Riyadh and starts talking about football. He remembers with joy his idols, those who led the Croatian team to the podium in France 98, as he also vindicates his generation, a finalist in Russia. He praises Modric, highlights Pedri and analyzes the role of the midfielders. He is (was) a specialist.
Ask. When you see that in the Euro Cup there are players like Modric (38 years old), Lewandowski (36), Cristiano (39) and Laporte (30) who are playing like you in the Saudi League, do you regret having retired from the national team?
Answer. No, for every player there is a perfect time to retire. I gave a lot to my team and, of course, the team gave me everything. But after almost 13 years and more than 100 games, it was time to spend more time at home. My family had sacrificed a lot for me.
Q. Wasn’t it even worth waiting to try to surpass the Generation of ’98 even further?
R. We have always been a little in the shadow of the Generation of ’98. Yesterday I spoke for a while with Suker on the phone and I had a friend next to me: “Are you talking to Suker?” He was freaking out. As we are still active, to reach that iconic status or that category of legends, we are missing. It will take a few years for the next generation to talk about us.
Q. Does it have to do with the historical context, that selection emerged shortly after the war?
R. We surpassed them in results, but they paved the way, they put Croatia’s image in the world. They presented our legendary t-shirt.
Q. Do you say that it is mythical so as not to say that it is ugly?
R. The other day I was walking down the street in Riyadh and saw two kids wearing Croatian shirts. I went to ask them for a photo. The Croatia jersey has something special: it is easily identified with its team. And that is thanks to that generation. And no one is going to take it away. They are our idols.
Q. And that your generation has Luka Modric?
R. How can someone so small be so big? (series). Do you know what it means to us to be able to say that Luka is one of us? There will never be another Croatian with the same image and with the same strength in the world of football. With everything he has achieved and he is a very close, very kind boy. He has been through a lot in his life and is grateful for everything he has. I spoke before the Champions League final and he told me that he wants to continue enjoying himself and that he wants to continue in that vein. There is nothing else to consider but to keep going. He trains, he never gets out of the way, nothing ever seems too much to him. He is an example. Everything that happened to us in 2018 comes from there. For his and the coach’s leadership. He is very competitive.
Q. Like all Croatians.
R. It’s true, we carry it in our DNA. But we always respect the sport.
Q. You went from being the king in Sevilla to occupying another role both in Barça and in your national team. How do you live with that?
R. You have to understand where you are, who you are with and what you can give to those around you. At Barça with Messi and in the national team with Luka, I didn’t need to explain to them how they had to pass the ball to me. They know it quite well. Do you think it was necessary to tell Messi that he was going to pass it into space? Players of that level read you.
Q. Luis Enrique chose you instead of Kroos for his Barça, was he wrong?
R. It wasn’t instead of… We have to analyze the situation. Being in the League helped me, having competed against Luis Enrique, who had been at Celta. I’m getting older and I analyze a little what coaches do. It is one thing to have information from what you see on television and another to have faced and fought against someone. They are small details and sometimes the coach feels one thing more than another. My time with Luis Enrique was incredible.
Q. Kroos and Modric are still valid, has the midfielder evolved?
R. Today’s midfielder has changed a little. Five or 10 years ago maybe it was a little different. That’s why I like teams that continue to have confidence in players like Toni or Luka. Football evolves, today we see a lot of physicality and less finesse. Fewer people who can make the last pass. For example, how long has 10 been missing? Or the player behind the 9? It’s a big pity.
Q. What type of midfielder do you like?
R. The one who is everywhere. Neither the one who is only above, nor the one who is only behind. The free midfielder, the one with eight eyes. The one who knows when to slow down, when to accelerate, when he has to order his teammates. Those are the players who make the difference in the end. Maybe they don’t run as fast, but the fastest muscle is the brain.
Q. Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo…, how do you see them?
R. I find them incredible. In the case of those from Barça, who I follow a lot, it is great luck for them to have them. They are key and young players. Age doesn’t matter, neither up nor down. Luka can teach you, but so can Pedri. What I do like is that Madrid has made a transition between the generations that the younger ones appreciate. Look what happened between Valverde and Kroos. Valderde thanks him for everything he has taught him. And Fede has two Champions. But he has always been guided by those who have won everything. That is a spectacular organization, which works wonderfully.
Q. How do you analyze the Euro Cup?
R. It’s going to be very long and very hard. In these tournaments there is always some big surprise. It is logical that we always talk about Spain, about England, it is logical that we also talk about Germany because it is at home, even if they have not achieved great results. It will be interesting to see. I want to see how Türkiye is going to be established. They have a lot of young players, with a coach from a different school.
Q. And Croatia?
R. Croatia will no longer be a surprise. It is established among those above.
Q. Is it worse or better to start against Spain?
R. You have to start with a good result. Sometimes a good result can also be a draw. The important thing is not to go behind. There are many Croatian players in very good, very positive moments. It can be good to start at the highest level to know where you are and how you are doing. I am convinced that we are going to see a great match, between two possible finalists.
Q. If Croatia doesn’t win, who do you want to win: Switzerland or Spain?
R. We do a little bit of Pito Pito. I’m going a little with Spain, which will be difficult because they are in the group with mine. And I have a special connection with Switzerland. I have teams to enjoy and talk to various players. I hope my three selections can go very far.
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