Ex-Barcelona and Stoke star Bojan Krkic set for career change after Andres Iniesta link-up
Former Barcelona and Stoke midfielder Bojan Kricic is considering a career change with the help of Andres Iniesta after leaving Japan side Vissel Kobe earlier year
When football fans think about their 'streets won't forget' XI from the Premier League era, Bojan Kricic is a name that might be mentioned by many.
The 32-year-old starred in a Stoke side that, at one point, had more Champions League winners in their squad (5) than Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. Jese, Xherdan Shaqiri, Ibrahim Afellay, Darren Fletcher and Bojan himself had all won Europe's most coveted prize.
After joining the Staffordshire club from Barcelona in 2014, Bojan instantly became a fans' favourite for his flare, high technical ability and eye for a goal. The Spanish attacking midfielder scored some important goals for the Potters as they cemented themselves a top-flight force.
Stoke were relegated four years' later but Bojan remained at the club and tried to help them get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. However, after a disagreement with manager Gary Rowett, Bojan departed the club by mutual consent in August 2019, having made 85 appearances and scored 16 goals at the Potters.
It didn't take Bojan long to find new suitors, though, as he made the switch to MLS side Montreal Impact a day after officially leaving Stoke. The ex-AC Milan man spent two seasons in the United States before moving on to another fresh challenge in the form of Andres Iniesta's Vissel Kobe in Japan.
Unlike his time at Stoke, Bojan isn't remembered as fondly at the J League side, scoring just once in 26 matches. He was released in January 2023 after a spell out of the team - and has since considered a career change.
Bojan has toyed with the idea of a career in competitive gravel racing after launching a new £5,000 bike with Iniesta. Having left Japan earlier this year, he launched the Barcelona-based cycling brand named Guava Bikes with his former teammate, for whom he played with at the Catalan giants and Vissel.
"I think that when I enter this project it will be to stay and that I continue to be linked to cycling," he told Spanish publication AS. "It is a good way to combine sport and social activity. I could participate soon to be in some races. I'm going to prepare for it.
"I have always liked the bike, even as a means of transportation, but for about five years I have loved gravel. Whenever I can, I go out to do my routes. Regarding soccer, it also serves as training, because as it has no physical impact it allows you to travel many kilometres without damaging the body."
Bojan, who came through the famous La Masia academy, made 163 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 41 times as he shared the field with the likes of Lionel Messi and Xavi. However, now, the ex-Stoke midfielder is entering a different phase of his life as he debates moving into cycling.
