Rakitic announced his retirement: What football has given me is far beyond my dream

37-year-old Croatian midfielder Rakitic announced his retirement. Rakitic has played for clubs such as Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, and Barcelona. His contract with Split Hayduke expires this summer. Rakitic reached the peak of his career at Barcelona and helped Barcelona win one Champions League title and four La Liga titles.

Rakiti posted a video through social media, in which he said, "Dear football, this sport has been part of my life from day one. From my hometown to the greatest stadium in the world."

"I got the initial opportunity in Basel, when I was just a child, but football made me believe that everything was possible, and that was just the beginning."

"In Schalke 04, I grew up, and that was my first time leaving my hometown. I began to learn to face new challenges, new cultures. I became stronger and opened new doors with growth."

"Then I came to Seville and got a new one I have gained more. I am honored to be the captain here and hold my first European trophy. More importantly, I met the love of my life here and started a family. "

" Then I came to Barcelona, ​​which was something I could not imagine before, but my dreams came true. I played with the best players, we held the trophy together, and experienced many magical nights at Camp Nou. It was my honor to be a part of Barcelona's history. "

" I did not stop here, and returned to Sevilla and completed a cycle. I once again felt the feeling of home and the taste of championship. "

" After that, I ushered in a new rhythm and a new experience, and came Riyadh Youth. This is a chapter worthy of pride. I made friends here. "

" The last unforgettable chapter is at my roots. I played for Splithaiduk for the first time. I will always cherish this experience."

"The most important thing is that football has given me the greatest honor, allowing me to wear the jersey of my motherland and play for Croatia. For a small country, entering the World Cup final is not only an achievement at the sports level, but also an eternal moment, a gift to the entire country. "

" What football has given me far exceeds my dreams. I have gained friends, emotions, joy and tears, and football has shaped it My life. "

"It's time to say goodbye. Even if I leave football, football will never leave me. Thank you, football, thank you for everything you gave me." Last week, news that Rakitic planned to retire. Split Hayduke coach said at the time, "Rakitic has decided to end his career. He will face a difficult period, and it is not easy to come from the field to the off-court and complete the role change." After

, Rakitic denied this statement, "I haven't made a decision yet, and I haven't talked about retirement. I will make a decision with my wife next week." By this week, Rakitic made the final decision and hung up the boots.

was born in Rakitic in 1988. Both his parents were Croatian, but he was born in Switzerland. Rakitic also started his football career in Switzerland. He joined Basel II in 2005 and soon made his debut in the first team. Due to his outstanding performance in Basel, Rakitic won the attention of the top five league teams not long after, and transferred to Schalke 04 in 2007.

In Schalke 04, Rakitic quickly became the main force and participated in the Champions League for the first time here. In the four seasons he played for Schalke 04, Rakitic played 135 games in various games and contributed 16 goals. In the 2010-11 season, Rakitic joined Sevilla in the winter window. Arriving at the Spanish arena, Rakitic continued to grow and helped Sevilla win the 2013-14 Europa League championship.

Considering Xavi's age, Barcelona decided to introduce the midfield in 2014 and chose Rakitic. During this period of playing for Barcelona, ​​Rakitic reached the peak of his career and helped Barcelona win the Champions League championship in his first season. In Barcelona, ​​Rakitic won 13 championships and helped Barcelona win the La Liga championship four times. During this period, Rakitic also helped Croatia win the runner-up in the World Cup at the national team level.

As he grew older, Rakitic had to say goodbye to Barcelona and return to Sevilla. Rakitic is still in good condition at this time, helping Sevilla win the 2022-23 Europa League championship. After that, Rakitic played for the Riyadh youth for a short time, then went to Split Hayduke in Croatia, and retired here.

Rakitic joined Barcelona as Xavi's replacement, and he also completed the Barcelona midfield inheritance with Xavi.

Although Xavi left a year after joining Rakitic, Rakitic quickly became the main force after coming to Barcelona. As a midfielder, Rakitic has both offense and defense. Compared with Xavi, the Croatians have better defensive capabilities and can undertake heavier defensive tasks while organizing offense.

From the perspective of game style, Rakitic has a larger coverage range, can retreat deeply during defense, and can also come to a deeper position during offense, directly threatening the opponent's goal. Shortly after coming to Barcelona, ​​Rakitic received praise from the Catalan media, but he always respected Xavi, "I can't replace Xavi, all I can do is to do my best for the team." In the 2014-15 Champions League final, Rakitic scored just 4 minutes into the game, opening the door to victory for Barcelona, ​​helping the team defeat Juventus 3-1 and win the Champions League championship. Xavi also admires Rakitic, "He is one of the greatest signings in Barcelona's history.. ”

According to Croatian media reports, Rakitic will enter the management of Split Hayduke and serve as assistant technical director.

Rakitic career team honor list:

Basel

Swiss Cup champion: 2006-07

Seville

European Cup champion: 2013-14, 2022-23

Barcelona

La Liga champion: 2014–15, 2015–1 6. 2017–18, 2018–19

King Cup Champions: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18

Spanish Super Cup Champions: 2016, 2018

Champions League Champions: 2014–15

European Super Cup Champions: 2015

Club World Cup Champions: 2015

Croatia Team

World Cup Runner-up: 2018