Ivan Rakitic, a former Barcelona midfielder and World Cup silver medalist with the Croatian national team, has decided to retire from professional football, Euro-football.ru reported.
The announcement was made by Hajduk head coach Gonzalo Garcia. Rakitic had been playing for the club since 2024.
According to Garcia, Ivan is an intelligent player with strong ideas and a deep understanding of the game. He added that this is a challenging period for Rakitic, as he transitions from the pitch to office responsibilities.
In the past season, the 37-year-old appeared in 39 matches, scoring 2 goals and providing 5 assists. Rakitic also previously played for Sevilla, Basel, Schalke, and Al-Shabab.
He will now continue his career at Hajduk as assistant to the sporting director. This decision enables him to apply his football expertise in a new managerial role.
Rakitic’s retirement is seen as the beginning of a new chapter of change for the team. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
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