Bojan Krkic Sr talks about scouting and what it takes to succeed as a pro footballer

As fans on opposite sides screamed and cheered their teams on, one man in a white shirt, black shorts and smart trainers quietly observed. Seated right across the media section of the Centenary Stadium in Ta’ Qali, he would occasionally pen down some notes in his small book.

The first time he was anywhere near noticeable was after the warm-up sessions when the balls were randomly kicked into the stands and he was among the lucky ones in the stands to have caught a ball.

It would turn out that this man was there as a scout and, even more revealing, was that he is Bojan Krkic Sr, the father of former Spain and Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic.

There was so much happening all at once when Norway and Greece faced off in Group B’s opening game at the UEFA U19 Championship in Malta last year.

Bojan Krkic Sr was at the U19 Euros to scout for talent

A nine-goal thriller, this was the archetypal crazy game. The biggest talking point centred on how Norway raced into a comfortable 5-0 lead in the first half, only to end the game rattled, tense and biting their nails after a second-half blitz that saw Greece nearly rally their way back with four unanswered goals to close that match at 5-4.

But the subplots of the match were equally as interesting. There were surprisingly a number of Italian officials present to observe the game despite not being in the same group with either team - The Azzurrini would go on to be crowned champions after beating Portugal in the final. There was also the pre-match comic scene, which saw fans and journalists running from the water being splashed their way by the unemotive sprinklers on the pitch.

All the above were, however, not enough to stop anyone attentive enough from spotting something distinctive about the man in white. It’s the way he sat, legs crossed with purpose. The way he observed, eyes fixed on the action. And the way he wrote, pen connecting the dots.

“I’m here as a scout for Adidas,” Bojan Sr said, pleasantly smiling after realising he was about to receive the celebrity treatment following the big reveal of who he was.

Bojan Sr was born in Yugoslavia and was a professional footballer for much of his youth. As a midfielder, he lined up for several clubs across present-day Serbia, including OFK Beograd, Rijeka and Radnicki Nis.

What scouts look out for in various positions

Once he retired, though, Bojan Sr immediately ventured into the world of scouting. It’s no surprise that his son was one of the most highly-rated players at youth level when he was coming through at Barcelona and Spain.

“I worked as a scout at Barcelona for 15 years,” said Bojan Sr, who has also scouted players for several clubs across different continents. “A good player generally has to have talent. Without talent, you can’t make it as a professional player. Then there are other things.”

Shedding light on what makes a good player, Bojan Sr offers a lecture on positional play and takes a deep dive into what is required to excel in each position on the pitch.

On defenders, he notes that the player must be “intentional, physical, have good positioning. He must also have height, speed and be technical.”

For a man who played at the highest level and also played a key role in raising his son to become a professional footballer, Bojan Sr has developed an eye for spotting talents and it stems from years of travelling around the world on scouting missions. And as a former midfielder himself, it’s a position that he holds very dear.

“A midfielder should be productive, fast, creative,” Bojan Sr underlines, while switching just in time to see the goal that begins Iceland’s fightback against Norway. “Tactically and technically, he must be purposeful with the ball. It’s not enough to dribble and not end with a goal or assist. Productivity is key.”

Bojan Sr is more unforgiving with his take on the attributes of a good striker. “You need to have talent, personality, attitude, be smart and score goals. A striker who has some of the mentioned attributes but can’t score goals is a no!” he states categorically.

The UEFA U19 Championship has produced many players in the past who have gone on to enjoy impressive professional careers, with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland being the most recent reference points.

Bojan Sr and other scouts who were in Malta were hoping to spot the next generation of superstars for the outfits they work for and, based on how the tournament turned out, it’s only fair to conclude that they were spoilt for choices.

Meanwhile, Bojan Sr has an ongoing deal with a Ghanaian club but requested for the club not to be named due to a confidential clause in their agreement.

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