Niko Kranjčar on the transfer that shocked Croatia: 'Dinamo was my second home, but that was taken away overnight'

Niko Kranjčar, a former Croatian national footballer, opened up about the immense pressure he faced during his national team career, particularly when his father, Zlatko Cico Kranjčar, was the coach. "I can tell you it was terribly difficult," Kranjčar said in a podcast. "I probably put three times more pressure on myself than is normal in football because, above all, I wanted to make things easier for my dad."

Kranjčar described his father as his greatest footballing idol and admitted that playing for the national team was a privilege, but it became "a thousand times easier" after his father stepped down. He also reflected on his highly publicized 2005 transfer from Dinamo Zagreb to rivals Hajduk Split. "For me, Dinamo wasn't just a club. Dinamo was my second home," he explained. "Overnight, that was taken away from me."

Despite the emotional turmoil, Kranjčar expressed pride in his decision to move to Hajduk, citing a desire to "open people's eyes" to what was happening at his beloved club. He recalled the "impressive and beautiful memory" of his welcome in Split, acknowledging the support he received. However, he admitted the initial feeling of wearing the Hajduk jersey was not something he had dreamed of as a child, having envisioned a lifelong career at Dinamo.

Looking at the current state of Croatian football, Kranjčar lauded Luka Modrić's enduring excellence, comparing him to athletes like LeBron James and Tom Brady. He noted Modrić's continued status among the top five midfielders in Italy, attributing his success to talent, dedication, and a bit of luck. Kranjčar is now an assistant coach for the Croatian U-21 team, where he has praised young talent Luka Vušković for his leadership and confidence on the field.

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To je prije svega predivno odgojen dečko. To je dijete koje sve oko sebe čini boljima, nema ega. Rođeni vođa koji ima neopisivo i neobjašnjivo samopouzdanje, a sve to potkrepljuje igrama i količ