Croatian international Ivan Rakitic is not happy with FC Barcelona, a club he has been with since 2014, because they tried to treat him like a ‘sack of potatoes’.
For over 5 seasons, Rakitic has been one of the most consistent players in Barcelona. Recall that he joined the club in 2014, a season after he captained Sevilla to a Europa League triumph.
Immediately the 32-year-old combated midfielder landed at the Nou Camp, he became a part of the historic Barcelona team that won the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League in 2015.
This feat made him the first player ever to win the Champions League a year after winning the Europa League while playing for two clubs.
In less than 6 seasons with the Spanish La Liga giant, Ivan Rakitic has scored at least 24 goals in at least 190 appearances for the club.
Another side of life for Ivan Rakitic in Barcelona
But all that changed for Rakitic in the 2019-2020 season which has been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. One Dutch wonderkid Frenkie de Jong has been making things difficult for Rakitic at the club. The youngster is almost always used ahead of him.
It has become so bad for the footballer that he only managed to play 10 matches out of Barcelona’s last 27 La Liga matches despite not being injured and still having a full season left on his contract with the club.
Some critics and even the player believe that the club decided to treat him that way for failing to move to Paris Saint Germain in a Neymar swap deal.
“I understand the situation but I’m not a sack of potatoes who you can do anything with”, he told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
“I want to be somewhere I feel wanted and respected. If that’s here then I’ll be delighted but if it’s somewhere else then I’ll be the one who decides where not anyone else.
“Last year was the best of the six I’ve had here and I was annoyed with how I was treated. I was very surprised and I didn’t understand it. The results have not been the best and I haven’t played much, that is why I felt hurt.
“I had a very strange first half of the season, it was very uncomfortable and surprising for me. But I hope I can finish this last year of my contract.”
