He joined La Masia at the age of 9 and scored 889 goals in the Barca and Spanish national teams in 7 years, making him the only red and blue historical monument that even Messi could not challenge successfully.
He became the youngest player in the history of the Champions League at the age of 17 and 22 days, broke Messi's record at the age of 17 and 52 days, becoming the youngest goalscorer in barca history.
His Barça first-team career spans 4 years, experiencing the lows of Dream TWO, accompanied by the peak of Dream Three. Before the age of 21, the first generation of "Messi's successor" took off his red and blue shirt and walked to the Apennines, not thinking that he would eventually become "Medong".
The superstar of the youth team: once grabbed the headlines with Messi
Bojan Korkić Perez, whose name indicates his ancestry: the first half is Serbian (father), and the second half is characteristic of the Iberian Peninsula (mother).
His father, Korkić Sr., played for Red Star Belgrade as a player, retired as a scout at Barca and opened a football school in Lleida, Catalonia.
Born a year after his father retired from the army, Bojan showed outstanding football talent from an early age. At the age of 9, his elderly father recommended his son to Bergiristan, then Barca's technical director.
"The green field is my playground, and on the grass of La Masia, I can unleash my energy and talents with impunity, because the football under my feet has the magic to take me flying."
Bojan's words are not bragging, because he has broken almost all the records of the red and blue academy, scoring 889 goals in seven years, averaging 3.5 goals per game, and the nickname "The Little Prince" has accompanied his growth all the way.
Although other teams once wanted to "seduce" this red and blue gem, la Porta, the then president of Barca, gave a stern warning: "La Masia has always been a fertile land for football, so someone wants to take the children from here, which is an offense to Barca." We will have policies in place to avoid the departure of Fabregas and Pique. ”
The 17-year-old Bojan made it to the Barca first team and then had an incredible year. From 17 years and 52 days to break Messi's barca youngest player scoring record (which has been broken by Fati), to 17 years and 216 days to become the second youngest goal scorer in The history of the Champions League.
In his first year of Barca's first team, Bojan, who scored 10 goals, was increasingly compared to Messi, who was three years older than him.
However, Guardiola, who was the manager of Barca B team at the time, also had worries, and felt that Bojan seemed to be suspected of "pulling up seedlings and fueling growth". His technical skills are not polished in place, and he is too anxious to enter the first team competition, but he is a bit hasty.
20 years old away from the Apennines: it is difficult to have a red and blue way home
Bojan, who scored in doubles in his debut season, how could he think that he was the spokesperson for "debut is the peak".
When Rijkaard, who trusted him and built his two-striker tactics, left, the team returned to the 433 formation. Under Guardiola, who arranged Forcí to be the pseudo-nine, it is difficult to have Bojan's room to play.
Because Bojan's technical characteristics are a natural killer, it is more suitable to play as a two-striker, or a forward arrow, which overlaps with Messi's position.
Bojan, who can only go to the side, exposes the problem of insufficient technical polishing in that year, and it is difficult to be qualified for a new role.
Although in 2010, he had the opportunity to turn over. At that time, Ibrahimovic was not in good shape, and there was a big conflict with Guardiola's liquid play, giving Bojan room to play.
The 19-year-old, who has scored many goals, was even in danger when he faced Inter in the semi-finals of the Champions League. He scored shortly after he came out, which could have rewritten his own history and even Barca's history. Unfortunately, because of a "spurious" handball, this goal was cancelled.
Villa's arrival severed his last hope, and in the summer of 2011, Bojan, who turned 21 dozens of days away, chose to leave. Because everything has changed, he is no longer the little prince of camp Nou, destined not to wear the red-blue crown.
As Bojan said in a 2020 interview: "Barca are good, but if God gives me another chance to make a choice, I will still choose to leave there." ”
Kluivert once made an assertion at the time: "When Barca decided to let Go of Bojan, the young man was no longer the 'new Messi'. ”
In the Apennines, from Roma to AC Milan, Bojan had brilliant moments, but he never received tactical trust and support, nor could he prove that he was capable of becoming a star on his own.
After a year of a year at Ajax, Bojan moved to Stoke City in the Premier League, officially ending his Barca career. In his first year there, Bojan showed enough strength to play on foot and with a big picture view, and at one point became the team's offensive organizer and forward.
As a result, serious injuries struck, and the torn cruciate ligaments ruined his last chance to turn over. The 24-year-old, who was once mighty against Liverpool, returned to the pitch to find everything strange.
Unable to win the competition with Shubomotin and Hesse, Bojan once again chose to break through. Mainz of the Bundesliga and Alaves of La Liga became his next places, but because of the feud with the team president, the manager was ordered not to play Bojan, and even suspended his salary for several months.
From North America to Asia: The Champions League leaves its footprints
In the summer of 2019, the 28-year-old Bojan returned to Barca as an unemployed player, training with the team to maintain his form, and finally got a contract from North America.
Major League Baseball's Montreal impact gave Bojan a chance because the team's manager was his former teammate, Arsenal star Henry.
At the press conference, Bojan did not say anything bold, leaving only one sentence: "I only hope that I can play every game well." ”
There, he won the Canada Cup with the team and subsequently appeared in the North and South American Champions League. In the summer of 2021, Bojan once again went to an unfamiliar environment: the J-League's Kobe Victory Ship.
"Bad times always pass, and although it's not as fun, I never wanted to escape. Even in the most difficult moments, I want to persevere, to find the happiness of the past. Like your wife and friends, you can't be with them all the time, but that doesn't mean you don't love them anymore. ”
At the press conference unveiled in Japan, Bojan left a deep message, the 30-year-old became a "historical figure", and the "Medong" who was ridiculed, but still insisted on his football dream.
In the AFC Champions League, where Guangzhou and Shandong Taishan suffered humiliation, there is also a new record for Boyang. At the age of 31, he represented The Victory Ship kobe in the AFC Champions League, making his third continental club top event after the Champions League and the Champions League.
Before his debut, Bojan posted on social media: "I can't wait to experience such a special intercontinental competition as the AFC Champions League. Come on! ”
Conclusion
The name of the XX successor in football is an expectation and may also be a shackle. There are too many geniuses folded in the middle of the road, and how many people can complete the transcendence?
Perhaps comparing Bojan to Messi was a mistake from the start. At the age of 17, he was amazing, at the age of 20, he was rebellious and stubborn, and then at the age of 30, boyang tasted the bittersweet and bittersweet of football, and at the age of 31, he began to enjoy the special and beautiful of the AFC Champions League.