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FC Barcelona and Spanish U-21 national team striker Bojan Krkic, widely believed to be the biggest up-and-coming superstar in world football, has apparently chosen to play for Spain rather than Serbia at the senior level, Serbian news agency B92 reported in its sports section today.
The 17 year-old sensation was born in Spain to a Catalan mother and a Serbian father, also a footballer who played for Red Star Belgrade in the 1980s. The young Krkic, who is often referred to simply as Bojan in Spanish, joined Barcelona at the youth level in 1999 and broke all previous scoring records with a whopping 961 goals in seven years. He then briefly played on Barcelona's B-squad before being promoted to the senior side, where he has often seen action as a substitute upfront.
Krkic also scored 16 goals in 20 games for the Spanish U-17 national side, and has recently debuted for the Iberians at the U-21 level. Nonetheless, the Serbian FA held out hope that he would choose his father's native land at the senior level. According to FIFA rules, players may initially play for one national youth side, but choose a different side for senior play. Once a player has earned a cap for a given senior team, he or she may not change sides again unless the country in question disintegrates.
The Serbian FA and its fans were hoping that Krkic would choose the path of Zdravko Kuzmanovic, the Fiorentina midfielder who was a star for Switzerland at the U-21 level, only to choose his native Serbia when it came to senior play. But there was no such luck with Krkic, who barely speaks a word of Serbian and considers himself Spanish.
Now that the facts are out, let's be honest for a moment. Every Serbian national team fan who is in touch with the happenings of world football was secretly hoping that Krkic would choose Serbia, and form a potentially lethal striking tandem with Valencia big man Nikola Zigic, the current centerpiece of the Serbian team. But there were many more reasons to hope that Krkic would choose Serbia. The Serbian U-21 side has appeared in two of the last three European Championship finals, meaning Krkic would join an up-and-coming generation with proven potential. He could have transformed Serbia from an average, middle-class team to a potential dark horse in major tournaments. And most importantly, he could have brought Serbia back onto the map of respected nations in world soccer, something that has not been the case since the 1998 World Cup in France. With his youth and versatility, Krkic would have been a long term investment - and ticket seller - for the Serbian FA.
Krkic initially stated that he would wait until his 18th birthday to make an official announcement regarding his national team of choice, creating a panicked media frenzy in Spain, which is already known for the lack of confidence surrounding its national team. But now that the bad news is out, Serbia must accept its position and move on. There is a talented generation of young players available for selection, even without Krkic in the picture. Players such as Kuzmanovic, Branislav Ivanovic, Milos Krasic, Bosko Jankovic, Danko Lazovic and others have made their senior team debut and could contribute big on the side if managed properly. Given Serbia's recent success at the U-21 level, it is also worthwhile to keep a close eye on its youth and Olympic teams over the next few years. While Serbia won't produce a home-grown Bojan Krkic overnight, it could very well build a team that makes some serious noise at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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Odds and Ends: Bojan Krkic Chooses Spain
Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 11:33 AM EST
[Odds and Ends]
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