Niko Kranjcar: The Baffling Stagnation Of A Precocious Child

Ozren Podnar reports...

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No Croatian footballer has been hyped over the past five years as much as the young Niko Kranjcar (pronounced CRUNCH-ar).

Born in Vienna on August 13th 1984 to the famous father Zlatko Kranjcar, Niko was touted "the greatest promise of Croatian football" when he was 16 and a half. Compared to a young Zidane and a half dozen other European footballing greats, Kranjcar seemed destined for stardom ever since he stunned coaches, opponents, writers and spectators alike in his initial senior appearances with Dinamo Zagreb in early 2001.

Playing as an out-and-out striker, or more frequently as an advanced midfielder behind two forwards, he showed maturity (and stature, at 185 cm) that belied his age. His strong physique, good vision of the game, cunning, imaginative passing and excellent close control led many to prophesy his quick full international debut and stardom beyond the Croatian borders.

A month after his promotion to the first team, he appeared as a sub in the Cup final second leg when Dinamo beat Hajduk Split 1-0 securing their fifth Croatian Cup. His rise was meteoric: three weeks before his 17th birthday he scored on his League debut, later that season he collected another Cup medal and at the start of 2002/03 season was made the club's youngest ever skipper by ex-Croatia coach Miroslav Blazevic!

The campaign ended brilliantly for the youngster as Dinamo won the championship and Kranjcar was hailed as the best player of the season according to the sports press ratings.

However, three years after his celebrated debut for Dinamo he has yet to earn his first cap for Croatia. Kranjcar was a regular in all national team categories including the U-16 team, which won a bronze medal at the 2001 European championship, U-19 and U-21 teams.

Still, his senior debut has been delayed on several occasions although the press has continually appealed for his call-up for a year now. When Otto Baric finally did call him up for the February friendly against Germany in Split, he was injured on the eve of the fixture. True, at 19 and a half he has plenty of time ahead, but his progress has obviously been slower than expected. Or, was too much expected of him in the first place?

The country's best coaches have identified his shortcomings: less than ideal weight at 84-86 kg, considerable lack of pace and static play.
"He seems unaware of the need to keep an optimal weight and to work as hard as he should - in fact, as he did while I coached him," says Miroslav Blazevic to Nacional weekly. "Under my guidance in autumn of 2002 he lost 10 kilos. How did I persuade him? No persuasion, I told him."

The much travelled coach Tomislav Ivic agrees that "Kranjcar has a great feeling for the ball and great understanding of the game. Few players in the world have that virtue.

But, take Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United and a couple of other of his peers who play in the Champions' League. They may not have Kranjcar's skill and vision, but they have superb movements. His lack of movement was evident three years ago, and has persisted," claims the former coach of Ajax, Anderlecht, Atletico Madrid, Galatasaray and several other European giants.
"He lacks continuity in play. He does act as the team's leader, but his status is not reflected in continuity," believes Milivoj Bracun, former coach at NK Zagreb and Koper of Slovenia.

Niko's father Zlatko, himself a successful coach (two League and Cup doubles with Dinamo Zagreb, and a League title with NK Zagreb) blames coaches and their methods for his son's apparent lack of progress. But Ivic, the supreme authority among coaches, retorted.
"His father is partly to blame for his physical condition. If Niko was my son, I would put him in order."

Early into his career, Niko was in the sights of both Juventus and Milan, but his dream is to join Barcelona and in fact his career advisor, the famed Davor Suker, has already linked him with the Catalan giants who reportedly have acquired an option over Kranjcar. Still, no concrete offer from the west has reached Dinamo's offices and last autumn it was reported that CSKA Moscow would like him to join his fellow countryman Ivica Olic. Niko turned the Russians down.
"I don't want to go to Russia, it's just too cold for me." said Kranjcar. "My dreams have always been of Barcelona. I have always been their fan. Nothing could be greater than stepping out on the Nou Camp turf in the blue and claret shirt!"

But, he would be ill advised to leave for a big European club just yet, even if an offer comes along. "If he is transferred abroad now, he will be ruined. He should be grateful for playing at Dinamo, the best possible school for playing abroad."

The Kranjcar dynasty

Kranjcar was born into a famous footballing family. The Kranjcars are to Croats what Johan and Jordi Cruyff are to the Dutch.

Zlatko Kranjcar was in his time also a precocious talent, who went on to blossom in Dinamo Zagreb and star in the winning of one League Championship and two Cups of the former Yugoslavia. After scoring a hundred goals in the then strong Yugoslav League, he was transfered to Rapid Vienna where he won two Leagues, four Cups and added more than a hundred league goals to his impressive tally.

He appeared in the 1985 Cup Winners Cup finals in Rotterdam against Everton (3-1 for the Toffees) and collected - curiously - only 11 caps and three goals for Yugoslavia, plus two caps for a fledgling Croatian team in 1990.

Ozren Podnar

Niko Kranjcar Factfile

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Position: forward
Birth date: August 13, 1984
Height & weight: 185 cm, 85 kg
Appearances & goals:
2000/01 Dinamo Zagreb 0 0
2001/02 Dinamo Zagreb 24 3
2002/03 Dinamo Zagreb 21 4
2003/04 Dinamo Zagreb 18 8
Honours:
1 Croatian League (2003)
2 Croatian Cups (2001, 2002)
2 Croatian Supercups (2002, 2003)