Bojan Krkic: Europe's most talented 16-year-old?
Barcelona have found yet another gifted striker, who's currently illuminating the European U-17 Championship.
Perhaps nobody could have quite lived up to the hype. Having finished as joint top-scorer in the European U-17 Championship last season, when he was only 15, Bojan Krkic (or Bojan Krkic Perez, as the Spanish press calls him) was widely expected to be the star of this year's tournament. For sure, he played his part yesterday as Spain began their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over France, but he delivered an oddly dislocated performance.
It wasn't that his play was selfish, it was that he seemed to exist on a different plane to his team-mates. Three times Krkic found space where there should have been none on the corners of the box, and threaded finely-measured passes into the centre, only to find that nobody had read his intentions. Blame him for not calibrating his game to the level of his team, or blame his team-mates for not learning from the first cross? There is no easy answer, but what was clear was that, despite an impressive performance from Arsenal's Fran Merida, Krkic was by far the most technically accomplished player on the pitch.
Finding his level must be difficult. Krkic is small and slight, but has still played 18 times for Barcelona B this season, scoring 10 times. It is expected that next season he will train with the first team - although there have also been rumours of a loan move to Ajax - while continuing to play matches with the B side. Comparisons with Lionel Messi are not necessarily helpful - particularly as Krkic is more of an out-and-out striker - but it is not hard to see why they have been made. So key is he considered to Barcelona B's chances of avoiding relegation that the club even tried to persuade the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that Krkic should stay with them rather than travelling to Belgium with Spain's U-17s. Fortunately for the tournament, the RFEF ruled against them.
It makes sense, anyway, for Spain to make Krkic feel at home in their colours. His father, also called Bojan, is a Serbian who played for Red Star Belgrade in the Eighties. After moving to Spain he married a Catalan woman, and became a scout for Barcelona in 1997. Bojan Jnr was born in Linyola in the north-west of Catalonia, but Serbia is agog at his progress, hoping he may opt for them. His father has not ruled it out. "Bojan will choose the colours of his national selection by the age of 21," he said. "There is still plenty of time to make a serious decision."
Krkic joined the cantera at Barcelona in 1999, since when his statistics defy belief. In seven years in their youth set-up, he hit an astonishing 889 goals. Of course, goals are easier to come by in youth football than in the senior game, but the sort of consistency that brought an average of over three goals a game at every level still stands out.
It was at the European U-17s in May last year that he really made a name for himself, though, despite playing just 270 minutes in Spain's five matches. Admittedly three of his five goals came against Luxembourg, but against Russia he was spectacular, his introduction at half-time turning a goalless first half into a 3-0 win.
It is not just that he is a superb finisher. He is also a a wonderful dribbler, blessed with balance, close control, vision and devastating acceleration. "There are only a few players who have a magical touch," the former Barça midfielder Pep Guardiola said, "and Bojan is one of them." He made his debut for Barcelona's first team in a friendly against Al-Ahly in Cairo last week, and scored, prompting Frank Rijkaard to hail his "great talent, coolness and class".
The only concern is over his physique. He is lightweight, and he was given a battering by the France centre-back Mamadou Sakha yesterday, before, to add insult to injury, being booked for diving after stumbling over the defender late on. Still, he seemed undaunted by the physicality, which bodes well.
Spain play their second match against Ukraine tomorrow, before an intriguing final group game against Germany on Monday. Germany, inspired by the playmaker Toni Kroos, were particularly impressive in beating a sluggish Ukraine yesterday. On early form, the Spain-Germany game looks like being a meeting not merely of the two best teams in the tournament, but also the two best players. Krkic has a mantle to defend
He only came on today for a bit of the second half against Germany and he should have scored but I think he is tired like you said Remei xx
