Sevilla holds a special part in Ivan Rakitic's heart but today it is all about helping Barcelona win its fifth Super Cup against the team that signed him to come play in La Liga. While the Swiss player that now features for Croatia's national team owes a lot to Sevilla, his mind is with his current team and their desire of success.
"Sevilla
The 27-year-old player spent three years in Sevilla before moving to Barcelona. Previously, he had played for Schalke 04 and Basel in Switzerland. By moving to Sevilla in
"I told them that I wanted to join Barcelona but only if they were happy. I wanted Sevilla to say yes,” Rakitic remembered and the club agreed with him.
Rakitic had been the captain of Sevilla in his last season. He was the first one to do so since the times of Diego Armando Maradona. He was leaving a good amount of memories behind, but he was bringing with him Raquel, his wife, who he had met in his first night in Sevilla, and his daughter who was born there.
Now, he had fulfilled a dream of playing for Barcelona. He knows that there is a need to be the best in this club. There is a constant demand for more and it's not easy to keep up with it according to the Croatian.
“People say: ‘Ah, how great that you have those three up front, they make things easy.’ But it’s not always like that, trust me,” Rakitic said. "The way we bring the ball out from the back here is very similar to
For Rakitic, it was important to learn from Xavi on and off the field in the year they shared a locker room. He does not see himself as the replacement of one of the greatest midfielders of all times. His goal is to try to do his best to fit into Barcelona's system just like he did in Sevilla.
“Leo’s not the best player around at the moment, he’s the best player in history." Rakitic said as he admired how much La Pulga has won over the years. "The hunger never fades and if we relax they’ll come for us. That’s why when I went on my honeymoon, I was in the gym preparing for pre-season.”
