My father is Croatian but went to school in Bosnia, and my mother’s also Croatian but lived in Bosnia. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
When I met my wife, I felt as though I really had something to play for, and my career went to another level after that. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
I think people don’t really understand how much footballers are affected by the people in their lives. When we’re interviewed, people always ask about managers and tactics and training, but they almost never ask about what’s going on off the pitch, and to me, that’s just as important to your career. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
I forced myself to watch Spanish TV and listen to Spanish radio all the time. I think I’m lucky because, for whatever reason, people from the Balkans seem to have a talent for learning languages. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
The hunger doesn’t diminish when you win something. If you have the chance to win the European and Spanish Super Cups and the Club World Cup, that makes you want to win even more. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
Friends ask me to pick the best 11 players, but sometimes the best 11 players are not the best team. So it’s something that you have to work together. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
In England, everyone is really physically strong. They can play three games, and then they are ready to play the fourth. If you are a Spanish team, and you give away a corner against an English team, then you have to be ready. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
When you put the sacred Croatia shirt on, you become another person. We have this togetherness, this unique unity – not just in football. We are exceptional in tennis, handball, basketball, water polo. If we were to hold a tournament in ping pong, all of us would be rooting for that single player. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
A part of me feels very Swiss: I follow Swiss sports – curling, for example – and I support Swiss teams. I love Roger Federer. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
Sevilla are so important in my life: I met my wife there, our daughter was born there, we have a home there, and we’ll go back. Ivan Rakitic Read Quote
