Ivan Rakitic
Rakitić with Barcelona during the UEFA Super Cup in August 2015
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ivan Rakitić | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 March 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Möhlin, Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Möhlin-Riburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2005 | Basel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Basel | 34 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Schalke 04 | 97 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Sevilla | 117 | (27) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014– | Barcelona | 82 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Switzerland U21 | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Croatia U21 | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007– | Croatia | 81 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:01, 22 January 2017 (UTC). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:01, 22 January 2017 (UTC).
Ivan Rakitić (born 10 March 1988) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a central or attacking midfielder for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Croatia national team.
Rakitić started his professional career at Basel and spent two seasons with them before he was signed by Schalke 04. After spending three-and-a-half seasons in the Bundesliga, he was signed by Sevilla in January 2011. Two years later, Rakitić was confirmed as the club captain and captained the team to UEFA Europa League triumph. In June 2014, Barcelona and Sevilla reached an agreement on the transfer of Rakitić. In his first season with Barça, he won the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League. He scored the first goal of the 2015 Champions League Final and became the first player ever to win the Champions League one year after winning the Europa League while playing for two different clubs.
At the international level, Rakitić plays for the Croatian national team. Although naturally a product of Switzerland's youth level, Rakitić pledged his international career to his parents' country of Croatia instead. He made his debut for Croatia in 2007 and has since represented the country at UEFA Euro 2008, UEFA Euro 2012, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016, earning over 80 caps.
Rakitić was born in Möhlin in the Swiss canton of Aarau to a Croatian family of Šokci origin. His father, Luka, and his family are originally from Sikirevci, while his mother's family are Bosnian Croats from Žepče. He has a brother, Dejan; Rakitić has a tattoo bearing his brother's name on his right arm. Rakitić spent his childhood and early career in Switzerland. His father and older brother were also footballers. With such a background, it was no surprise when Rakitić took a strong interest in the same aspirations, even as he was completing his primary school studies. Subsequent to doing so, he began to concentrate on his sporting career, with his family's encouragement. At age 16, he was noticed by top European scouts who acclaimed his young potential, although he and his family decided to stay in Basel to allow him to play more regularly in a smaller league instead.
...
Wikipedia