October 15, 2019 - Once an irreplaceable Barcelona midfielder has become written off, unwanted, and deceived in the span of a few months. Is Ivan Rakitic finally on his way out of the Catalan club?

However, Index.hr writes that the thirty-one-year-old Ivan Rakitic did not give up without a fight and refused to leave his beloved Barcelona this summer. But after he found himself as part of the starting eleven only once this season so far, he’s realized that after five and a half years, he'd have to consider leaving the club where he wanted to end his career.

Rakitic is hurting the most from Barcelona's mind games. In the summer of 2018, PSG handed him an unbelievable offer, but coach Ernesto Valverde ultimately demanded his stay, noting that Rakitic was irreplaceable to him. Barcelona president Bartomeu agreed, adding that he would offer the key midfielder a new, improved, "lifelong" contract. Following these guarantees, Rakitic was convinced that he would remain at Barcelona as one of the untouchable players. 

But earlier this year, the situation radically changed for the worse when Barcelona purchased Frenkie De Jong. The fantastic Dutchman, who is nine years younger than Rakitic, was called the 'future of Barcelona' and football in general. Barcelona brought the young midfielder over from Ajax for 75 million euro. It was a clear signal to Rakitic that he was no longer a key player for the club, though he refused to accept it.

With Jong's arrival this summer, Rakitic has been degraded among the reserves. The rejuvenation of Barcelona is a strategic project decided by the management - and Rakitic was its first victim.

Having struggled fiercely this summer to convince the club that he still has a place in Barcelona, Rakitic has now understood the message and, as Marca writes, began looking for a new club himself. Manchester United and Juventus are interested in the Croatian midfielder, and while he still has two years left of his contract at Barcelona, due to his great merits, the club won’t give him trouble leaving as early as the winter deadline, nor will it set too high of an asking price. 

Rakitic came to Barcelona in the summer of 2014 from Sevilla for 18 million euro. Since then, he has played 274 games for Barcelona, scoring 34 goals and assisting 37. He has won four La Liga titles and the King Cup, one Champions League and one Club World Cup. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

Remember a few months ago when we called out Liam Gallagher for liking Hajduk’s badge a bit too much in his Pretty Green spring collection? Well, this time, we have another case of imitation, but from some of the greatest football giants in the world - Barcelona and Croatia. 

Namely, the Spanish football champion launched their new 2019/20 kits for sale on Tuesday, which looks awfully similar to those of the 2018 World Cup finalists - the Croatia national team, reports Gol.hr on June 3, 2019. 

? Presenting the 2019/2020 kit
?? All the details
➡ https://t.co/KhCpRra4Pc
? On sale from Tuesday, June 4!

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 3, 2019

For the new shirts Messi & Co. will be wearing from July, Barcelona will stray away from its 120-year-history of the traditional blue and red stripes for the first time. And it might have something to do with the Croatia Football Federation and Barcelona boasting the same American sports equipment manufacturer as their sponsor - Nike.

The club claims that the new jersey design pattern was not inspired by Croatia, who won the silver medal at the World Cup in Russia a year ago and whose checks have been recognized since 1990 and the independence of the country.

View this post on Instagram

??? Nice try @FCBarcelona, but you can't beat red-and-white checkers - and we are convinced that @ivanrakitic will surely enjoy the new kit! ?⚪️ #Croatia ??

A post shared by Hrvatski nogometni savez (@hns_cff) on Jun 3, 2019 at 11:22am PDT

"The new design is inspired by the city of Barcelona, or the characteristic blocks of the Eixample district, which is home to some of the most recognizable buildings designed by the great architect, Antoni Gaudi," said Barcelona in a press release on Monday.

Eixample is the center of Barcelona, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, consisting of a group of buildings merged into squares. The area also features the famous church Sagrada Familia.

Since its founding in 1899, Barcelona has donned stripes on its shirts and ended this season with this traditional design. 

"The Barcelona jersey for the 2019/2020 season will replace the traditional blue and red stripes for the first time in its history," the club said in Catalonia, confirming earlier speculation about this drastic change.

"This new home jersey will be released in public on June 4 (Tuesday) in all Barcelona stores and customary sales outlets around the world," the press release said.

Croatian football player Ivan Rakitić, who is contracted with Barcelona until the summer of 2021, should play in the new jerseys this summer. The front of the shirt will continue to feature the name of the Japanese sponsor in white.

Barcelona will travel to Japan with their new kits in July where they will play a tournament against Premier League club Chelsea and Japanese club Vissel Kobe, where former Barcelona players Andres Iniesta and David Villa play. 

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.