I’m ex-Barcelona prodigy who was dubbed Croatian Messi – now I play in front of just 12,000 fans after saying ‘f*** it’
FORMER wonderkid Alen Halilovic was once dubbed the Croatia Messi but he is now playing in front of just 12,000 fans after quitting Barcelona.
The midfielder was once a very highly rated talent after joining Barcelona aged just 18-years-old.
Alen Halilovic quit Barcelona after becoming frustrated with his lack of game timeGetty
Halilovic plays for Eredivisie side Fortuna SittardGetty
By that point he already had 62 professional appearances and eight goals to his name from his time at Dinamo Zagreb.
Barca moved quickly to snap him up with Halilovic joining up with Barcelona B.
He had a full season with the side but became frustated with his lack of opportunities for the first team, making just one appearance.
The Croatian spent time out on loan before calling time on his Nou Camp career.
He recalled his decision to quit the club, telling Marca: “The first two years were perfect at Barça, but I hoped to have a chance in the first team in the third. Then I realized that Luis Enrique didn’t see me there.
“I was supposed to stay one more year because I was doing so well. But Barça decided that he had to go out on loan again, so I was a little frustrated with everything.
“I didn’t want to go out again, so I said ‘F*** it, I’m getting out of here’.”
Now Halilovic, 27, is playing for the 12th club of his career – Fortuna Sittard, who are 11th in Eredivisie.
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The Fortuna Sittard Stadion is a 12,500-capacity arena but Halilovic often finds himself playing in front of an average crowd of 10,000 fans.
He wished he had been more patient during his Barcelona spell but still believes he can make something of his career, which is why he turned down a move to Saudi Arabia.
Halilovic added: “They wanted to give me a lot of money but I said ‘no’ because I still think that if I am healthy I can achieve something great. That’s why I chose to come here [Fortuna Sittard].”
