Former Barcelona midfielder tips club to win the UEFA Champions League this season

Still fresh from his recent move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Shabab, Ivan Rakitic sat down for an interview with MARCA, where the midfielder discussed several things about European football, as well as his own career.

Rakitic notably talked about the ongoing La Liga title race, where he tagged Real Madrid as the favourites. But the Croatian veteran said he expects Barcelona to win the Champions League this season, albeit with a little hesitation.

“I’m not telling you this season, but overall, Real Madrid have things well to have a solid team base and I expect them to dominate for a few years. They will win La Liga this season,” Rakitic told MARCA.

But when asked about the Champions League, the midfielder hesitated a little but said, “FC Barcelona.”

The veteran midfielder went on to speak at length about Barcelona’s ongoing project and how the club are still behind Real Madrid.

“It’s like when you have a girlfriend as a kid and you don’t pay much attention to her, but you don’t realize until you lose her. Real Madrid has been able to do everything well, little by little,” Rakitic said when asked about Barcelona’s lost dominance in Europe.

“Toni [Kroos] and Luka [Modric] are still there leading the team. Maybe Barça have gone too fast,” he added.

Rakitic has taken up a new challenge in Saudi Arabia (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

The former Sevilla midfielder, though, expect Gavi and Pedri to become crucial leaders for Barça going forward but added that they do require guidance from older footballers.

“I am convinced that Gavi and Pedri, who have spectacular talent, are going to be the future of Barça and Spanish football, but I think that our help would have been good for them,” he said.

“I am convinced that all those kids like Bellingham and company greatly appreciate the daily learning they have with them. It hurts to see it because Barça has been my home for six years and I have a very, very, very special affection for it,” he added.

Rakitic also talked about Xavi Hernandez, who was once his teammate at Barcelona. The Croatian expressed his grief at Barça losing a coach like Xavi.

“Xavi is a close friend of mine and seeing him suffer hurts my soul. Seeing it like this hurts me a lot, but I hope they can fix things with good results. In a big project like this, everything revolves around money,” the midfielder said.

Rakitic went on to name his dream eleven, naming former Barcelona teammates such as Xavi, Neymar and Andres Iniesta.

“I’m a big fan of the old school. I have played with Neuer and ter Stegen. Back in the day, my idol was Beckenbauer. I also stay with Maldini, in the centre of Xavi, Iniesta, Leo. Neymar in the attack. But there is one name above all: José Antonio Reyes,” he concluded.