Bojan Krkic: ‘Loneliness has been there in all the experiences I have had’

There is no better place to meet someone tied to FC Barcelona than the restaurant of the Hotel Sofia.

It is just 400 metres (a quarter of a mile) from their Camp Nou home. Former club president Sandro Rosell is sitting in the hotel lobby as we arrive. Inigo Martinez is also here, waiting for his signing from Athletic Bilbao to become official.

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It’s the right place to speak to someone so intrinsically tied to La Masia — Barcelona’s academy. A man so associated with the club that despite not playing for them since May 2011, Barcelona lent him an auditorium at their stadium a few months ago to announce his retirement aged just 32.

Retired players can sometimes no longer resemble their glory days — they can be a symbol of the passing of time.

This is not the case with Bojan Krkic.

Bojan walks in looking much like he did in his 2007-08 debut season.

He doesn’t have a wrinkle. He is in top physical shape. Despite the fact he is now into his fourth decade, he still has the spirit of a smiling child that once stole the hearts of the Camp Nou crowd, having made his first-team debut a few weeks after turning 17. So why has he chosen to retire so young?

“The beginning and the end of a stage is not a matter of age, it is a matter of experiences, of knowing how to choose,” he tells The Athletic. “Especially in the United States and Japan in the last three years, my experiences have been without a partner. Being alone.

“Loneliness has been there in all the experiences I have had. On a personal and professional level, I already felt fulfilled. I have achieved much more than I could have imagined when I started. It was a heartfelt decision.”

The longer he speaks, the easier it is to understand. Bojan defines himself as a sensitive