It went back to the city that received it to the 25 years with a Europe League under the arm and, finally, returned to his 32, consecrated like a legend. Ivan Rakitic did a prolonged pause in his stage like sevillista in 2013 to face the challenge more demandante of his career: dress the T-shirt of the FC Barcelona. It arrived with the task of suplir to another mythical player, Xavi Hernández, and quickly did charge of the rudder of the midfield of the team.

Been born in Switzerland and with origins Croats, Rakitic arrived to the Andalusian capital in 2010 of the hand of Monchi, after his go through the Basilea and by the Schalke 04. Immediately it remained enamoured of the city that would finish being the mother of his daughters and with a Spanish notably Andalusian. The future of the midfield player already antojaba widely promising.

After a first campaign of adaptation, Rakitic was taking a role increasingly protagónico until turning into the lung of the Pizjuán. It arrived to second line while comandaba to the team like mediocentro, the Croat eclosionó in his last seasons. It added 11 goals and 14 assistances in the season 2012-13 and 15 so many and 18 assistances in the following campaign. It sacked of his fans heaving like captain the third Europe League in the history of the Seville CF after defeating in the batch of penal to the Benfica. It was not a goodbye, but a see you later.

Indisputable in the Barcelona centre

It attained that the fans did not miss to the legendary Xavi Hernández. In his first course with the Barça and with the '4' in the back, Rakitic tieed up the place title of the centre of the field, accompanied by Busquets and Iniesta. Ten days before fulfilling a year like Barcelona player, the Croat was a key piece so that the team heaved his second triplete of his history. He was the attendant to mark the first goal of the Barça in the final of the Champions in front of the Juventus (1-3).

After six seasons in Can Barça, Rakitic contested 310 parties, of which lost only 41 meetings: nine in the season 2014/15, five in the 2015/16, eight in the 2016/17, four in the 2017/18, six in the 2018/19 and nine in the 2019/20. An engine insaciable. Always it was accustomed to be a reference more in the front of attack with the T-shirt of the Seville, in Barcelona delayed his position executing a work a bit more ensombrecida. His figures goleadoras were slightly inferior to the achieved in the Andalusian capital: as culé fit two goals less in two seasons more.

Of main to secondary

In his five first years, did not go down any campaign of the 50 parties contested, to exception of thelast , in which only it contested 42. The presence of Sergi Roberto in the centre of the field, the arrival of Of Jong and the coletazos of Arturo Vidal caused that the Croat went to less in his last year like culé. It was left behind, and the 'purge' by the 2-8 in front of the Bayern of Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League forced him to do the cases.

It sealed his stage like Barcelona of successful way, more than what a lot of imagined: 13 titles confirm it. Even, it is the fourth foreigner that more split has contested with the T-shirt of the Barcelona (310), by behind Messi (762 and going up), Alves (391) and Mascherano (334). Surpassing to legends like Cocu, Koeman, Kluivert, Kubala or Stoichkov.

Of return to his home

After abandoning the Camp Nou, his future could not be another that Seville. It arrived the past 1 September by 1,5 million more variable euros. This campaign is living his second air. The son pródigo of the Pizjuán returned, now with the '10' on his back, goes back to be indisputable. At the beginning of February surpassed the sum of minutes that contested in all the past season with the Barça: 2.198' in front of 2.111'.

This Saturday reencontrará again with his ex team. It has confronted nine times to the Barça and so alone has achieved the victory in one, in the gone of semifinals of the Glass of the King this season (2-0). The rest: three ties and five defeats. In case it was not little, the Croat will go back to the Camp Nou to contest the turn of the Glass this next Wednesday. The stadium that coreó his name until the tiredness, will be witness of his big return carrying another elastic.