Fans have frequently nicknamed outstanding youths "the next Messi" because of the widespread desire for Lionel Messi's immortality. Yet, many talents fail under the immense burden of such a designation.
Despite various promising young attackers being compared to the Argentine World Cup winner, Bojan Krkic stood out since he resembled him even down to his hairstyle. When he debuted for Barcelona in La Liga in 2007, at 17 years and 19 days, the Spaniard surpassed Messi as the league's youngest player.
Bojan ended up scoring 41 goals in 163 games with the club. After his most recent club, Vissel Kobe decided to no longer include him on their roster in January 2023, the 32-year-old has been unable to get a new team despite previously having played in the Netherlands, Italy, England, Germany, and Canada.
What did Bojan Krkic say of the expectations set at Barcelona?
“Nobody taught me anything, I had to learn it. I had to compete against what people said about me, that they said I was ‘The new Messi’. At first, I did not understand how I could meet those expectations. Little by little I learned to move away from what people said, I knew my limits, I accepted them and I identified my strengths to set new goals", Krkic said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca.
“You start to become aware of your arrival in the first team when the person you are now, becomes a character. You go from being someone anonymous, a kid who comes from his village, to someone everyone knows. Nobody teaches you any of that.”
Ansu Fati, who has also been called "the next Messi," is another youngster who has gotten a lot of attention since the Argentine superstar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain and was given the renowned No. 10 jersey. Bojan Krkic has also sounded a cautionary note about the high expectations placed on the 20-year-old and his recurring injury issues.
“I have experienced Ansu Fati’s case in my own body. I experienced firsthand what is happening to him. There is an enormous difference in treatment between the trust that is generated at the beginning, when everything goes well, and when things go wrong due to injury or any other reason.
“You generate a lot of enthusiasm at a time when the club need a ‘product’ from La Masia. And I don’t like to say it because I like to hear it, but that’s how we are treated. Players are treated like a product."
