The 'new Messi': how Bojan Krkic handled the pressure of the tag no-one wants
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The 'new Messi': how Bojan Krkic handled the pressure of the tag no-one wants
This is the third story in a series of reports from the Sports Tomorrow Congress. You can read the first piece, examining the effectiveness of cognitive training, here, and the second article, covering the Dutch national team’s ‘return from concussion’ protocol, here.
Bojan Krkic’s eyes seem to glaze over. Perhaps the recently-retired Spanish footballer, dubbed the ‘new Messi’ after scoring 900 goals for Barcelona’s youth teams, is tired. It’s also possible he’s heard the ‘Messi question’ before.
“How did you deal with the pressure of being labelled the ‘new Messi’?” The conference interviewer’s line of questioning is perfectly reasonable - Krkic, the first Spaniard to score in Europe’s top four leagues, is scheduled to discuss emotional management in elite football - but it’s hard to avoid the impression that ‘Bojan’ (as he was better known during his playing career) is going through the motions.
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It’s easy to understand why. Despite spells at AC Milan and Roma, despite scoring 41 goals in four seasons during his time at the Nou Camp (Ansu Fati, by way of comparison, has netted 25 times in three campaigns) and despite briefly lighting up the Premier League, the comparison between Krkic and Messi is referenced in almost every article you read about the Catalan striker.
He answers the question politely. He “wasn’t aware of the pressure”, He “was just focused on making a dream come true”. But his next sentence seems to betray his true feelings on the subject.
“I had to compete against this label (the new Messi) and I was only 17,” he explains.
“You are a small-town footballer enjoying the sport and then you’re stopped in the street in Barcelona….no-one prepares you for that.”
Krkic reveals that he started looking for psychological support when he was 13. Reflecting on his first season as a starter in the Barcelona team, when he scored 10 goals in what would be manager Frank Rijkaard’s final campaign with the club, he simply says:
“Very good at the professional level, but very hard at the personal level.”
It’s a sentiment echoed in recollections of his call-up to the Spanish national team. Picked to join the squad ahead of what would be a historic Euro 2008 tournament (which saw Luis Aragones’ side lift Spain’s first international trophy), he reluctantly turned down the offer. As he puts it:
“I wasn’t prepared at the personal level…I was living with too much anxiety.”
“I told him (Aragones) that I was excited to join the team, but that my mind and body weren’t ready.”
Krkic is philosophical about missing out on making history, saying he doesn’t regret his decision. His sense of self-awareness makes a convincing case for believing him.
“If I’d only been focused on being the ‘new Messi’, I’d have been constantly frustrated,” he says.
“Eventually, you understand and accept your potential. After leaving (Barcelona), I tried to attach value to what I had done.”
Krkic’s story is not uncommon. The panic attacks he has spoken about suffering from, the headaches and dizzy spells which forced him to bow out of the Spanish squad, and the ‘constant pressure’ he references during an excellent interview with Guardian journalist Sid Lowe, are witnessed across the footballing world.
Last year, I spoke to Wycombe midfielder David Wheeler about the crippling anxiety he felt during his early career. Jesse Lingard and Steven Caulker are high-profile examples of how mental health conditions affect players at the top of the game.
The forces which drive these tales are nuanced and numerous, ranging from fear of vulnerability to the environments cultivated by football clubs. In Krkic’s case, he sees a clear picture.
“I don’t like to feel like a commodity, but at the end of the day you have to understand you are part of a business,” he says.
“Clubs need immediate results and there are demands to leverage that product (the players) to the maximum.”
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