07/07/2025
🇭🇷 Hvala Ivane!
Earlier this week, Ivan Rakitić officially announced his retirement from professional football, closing the book on a career that deserves far more celebration than it ever received. The Croatian midfielder, who quietly returned to Hajduk Split to finish his career, has now stepped away from the pitch at age 37. In doing so, he leaves behind a legacy of grace, grit, and gross underappreciation.
Rakitić was never the flashiest player on the pitch—but that was exactly the problem. In an era of larger-than-life stars and headline-grabbing egos, Rakitić was the engine that rarely made noise but always moved the team forward. For both club and country, he did the thankless work—and often got blamed when things went wrong, even as he was instrumental when everything went right.
Let’s get one thing straight: Ivan Rakitić is one of the most accomplished midfielders of the modern game.
He won four La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy with Barcelona. He scored the opening goal in the 2015 Champions League Final, helping secure a 3-1 win over Juventus. He was twice named to the La Liga Team of the Season and helped Sevilla win two UEFA Europa League titles, one at the start of his rise and one near the end.
With over 100 international caps for Croatia, Rakitić played an essential role in the squad’s legendary 2018 run to the World Cup final. In fact, he holds a unique distinction in the entire history of the tournament: he is the only player ever to convert the final, match-winning penalty in two separate World Cup shootouts—against Denmark and Russia. In those moments of ultimate pressure, Rakitić was stone cold with ice in his veins.
Yet his name rarely comes up when the legends of this era are discussed. Why?
At Barcelona, he shared the stage with Messi, Suárez, Neymar, Iniesta, Busquets—all legends of the game. But even while shouldering immense responsibility, Rakitić was rarely in the spotlight. When Barcelona triumphed, the praise flowed toward the usual suspects. When the team faltered, Rakitić too often became the scapegoat.
The story was similar on the international stage. Luka Modrić, deservedly, received the Ballon d’Or and the acclaim that followed Croatia’s magical 2018 campaign. But every Batman has a Robin. And Rakitić was not just Modrić’s sidekick—he was a co-architect of the greatest achievement in Croatian football history.
Still, recognition never came easily. Perhaps it was his quiet demeanor, his tactical discipline, or his lack of flash. Perhaps it’s because he retired from the national team at just 31, a decision influenced by locker-room politics and not performance. But regardless of why, the result is the same: we did not appreciate Rakitić enough when we had him.
That changes now.
As he steps into a new role as a club executive at Hajduk Split, Rakitić leaves the field with dignity and the resume of a champion. He’s not just a Croatian legend—he’s a global football figure who defined consistency, reliability, and clutch performances in an age of constant hype.
Let’s stop overlooking Ivan Rakitić. Let’s start remembering him for what he was: one of the best to ever do it—for Barcelona, for Croatia, for the game itself.
Thank you, Raketa.
