Bojan began his career atBarcelona after progressing through the youth ranks atLa Masia. His early promise saw him make his first-team debut at the age of 17 years and 19 days, breaking the record set byLionel Messi. In hisdebut season, he scored 12 goals in 48 matches. In total, he spent four seasons atCamp Nou, scoring 41 goals in 162 games before he was sold in July 2011 to Italian sideAS Roma for a fee of €12 million. While inRome, he scored seven goals in 37 appearances in2011–12 and then spent the2012–13 on loan atAC Milan, where he scored three goals in 27 games.
AS Roma did not exercise their option of an additional €28 million to sign Bojan definitively, and so Barcelona re-signed him for €13 million. He spent the2013–14 season on loan at Dutch clubAjax with whom he helped win theEredivisie title. In July 2014, Bojan joined the English clubStoke City for €1.8 million. After subsequent loans to play on the European continent, once for FC Mainz 05 in 2017, and in Spain for Alavés in 2018, Krkić then played in North America for a season for the Montreal Impact, and then finally in Japan for Vissel Kobe for two seasons before being released by his club in January 2023, retiring from professional football two months later.
As a Spanish youth international, he won European Championships with theUnder-17 team in 2007 and theUnder-21 team in 2011, as well as earning his only cap for thesenior team in 2008. He has also represented theCatalan national team eight times since 2007.
Born inLinyola,Lleida,Catalonia, to aSerbian father,Bojan Krkić Sr., who was a professional footballer for Serbian sideOFK Beograd, and a Catalan mother, Maria Lluïsa Pérez,[4] Bojan played forBarcelona'syouth teams from 1999 to 2006.[5] A quick striker with quite notabledribbling skills, it was reported that he scored over 900 goals for various youth teams since joining the club as an eight-year-old, breakingLionel Messi's record.[6] He then played the2006–07 season with theBarcelona B team until he signed a professional contract with the first team upon turning 17. Bojan played his first match with Barcelona on 24 April 2007, scoring a goal in afriendly match against Egyptian clubAl Ahly.[7]
On 16 September 2007 (at 17 years and 19 days), Bojan made his official debut for Barcelona againstOsasuna, replacingGiovani dos Santos in the 78th minute[4][8] and breakingLionel Messi's record of the youngest Barcelona player to feature in aLa Liga match.[9] Three days later, he made hisUEFA Champions League debut againstLyon, coming on at the 88th minute for Messi. He was, at the time, the youngest Barcelona player ever to feature in a Champions League game, at 17 years and 22 days.[10] He made his second Champions League appearance on 2 October, coming on at the 81st minute forRonaldinho againstVfB Stuttgart. On 20 October 2007 (at 17 years and 53 days), Bojan made his first league start for Barcelona away toVillarreal and scored in the 25th minute. It was his first goal for the club's first team and it made him the youngest ever goalscorer for Barcelona in a league match.[11][12]
Bojan scored his first ever Champions League goal on 1 April 2008 (at 17 years and 217 days) againstSchalke 04, netting the only goal in the first (away) leg of the quarter-finals, making him the first person born in the 1990s to score in the Champions League,[4][13][14] and the youngest player to score in the knockout phase.[15] Bojan finished the season with a record of ten goals, breakingRaúl's record of most goals scored in a debut season.[4]
Bojan celebrates his goal againstSporting Gijón on 31 August 2009 at Camp Nou
Upon the departure ofGianluca Zambrotta, Bojan was handed the number 11 shirt. After 14 games (13 of which he entered as a substitute), Bojan ended a goal drought by netting a brace againstAlmería in a 2–0 victory.[16] Despite featuring less compared to the previous season, Bojan helped Barcelona to their 19th La Liga title. He also aided Barcelona to their firstCopa del Rey win in 11 years by scoring five goals in the competition, including one in the final againstAthletic Bilbao. Bojan was an unused substitute in the2009 UEFA Champions League Final againstManchester United, which Barcelona won 2–0 and saw them cap off atreble-winning campaign. Bojan's three goals in ten appearances throughout the competition saw him finish as the equal sixth-highest goalscorer for the season.[17]
On the first day of the2009–10 La Liga campaign againstAtlético Madrid, Bojan scored a header in the 18th minute courtesy of a flick-on fromSeydou Keita. Barcelona went on to win the game by a scoreline of 3–0.[18] On 10 November, he scored twice in the second leg of theCopa del Rey againstCultural Leonesa, helping his team to a 5–0 victory.[19] Coming off the bench as a late substitute forAndrés Iniesta, Bojan scored his first and only Champions League goal of the season against VfB Stuttgart.[20] He began finding the net more often towards the end of the season; seven of his eight league goals for the season came from the last 12 games.[21]
Bojan took the number 9 shirt afterZlatan Ibrahimović moved on loan toA.C. Milan. The season saw Bojan find himself behind Lionel Messi,Pedro and newly-signedDavid Villa in the pecking order. In the match againstCeuta in theCopa del Rey, Bojan captained Barcelona for the first time in an official match. He came off of the bench againstAlmería to score the sixth and eighth goals in an 8–0 win and later came on againstReal Madrid inEl Clásico to set up the fifth goal forJeffrén in the famous 5–0 win. In a La Liga match againstReal Sociedad, Bojan again came off the bench to score the fifth goal in 5–0 win. He scored a crucial league goal from aDani Alves assist for Barcelona againstSevilla in a 1–1 draw, then marked his 100th league appearance for the Catalan club with a goal againstGetafe.
On 22 July 2011, Italian clubRoma bought Bojan for a fee of €12 million. The sale included a buyback clause giving Barcelona the option to re-sign Bojan in 2012 or obligatory in 2013, although with the option of Roma paying an additional €28 million to retain the player.[22][23]He made his unofficial debut on 3 August 2011 againstVasas inBudapest. He scored his first goal from an assist fromDaniele De Rossi for Roma againstAtalanta on 1 October 2011. He made 33 league appearances for Roma in his first season with the club, scoring seven times in total.[24]
On 29 August 2012, Bojan joined A.C. Milan on a season-long loan from Roma.[25][26] Barcelona later announced that the move would not affect the prior buyback agreement between Roma and them.[27] Milan CEOAdriano Galliani, however, stated that a new agreement was worked out so that Milan have an option to sign the player at the end of the season, but Barcelona would still retain their buyback option.[28] Bojan made his debut for Milan on 1 September, coming off the bench during the second half of a 3–1 away win overBologna.[29]He scored his first goal for Milan againstChievo on 3 November 2012, the third of a 5–1 win at theSan Siro.[30]
Following the 2012–13 season in Italy, Bojan returned to his former club Barcelona for €13 million,[31][32] having made 19 league appearances for Milan, and scoring three goals.[33] He revealed his desire for more playing time, or otherwise interest to play for a club where he will receive more minutes.[34] Milan decided not to extend their loan of the young player, as they were not able to guarantee him minutes, while Roma did not exercise their option of additional €28 million to sign Bojan definitively.[35] He was free to find an alternative club to play for if he pleased, and talks began withAjax,Feyenoord andPSV Eindhoven.[36][37][38]
On 6 July 2013, it was announced that Ajax had signed Bojan on a one-year loan deal, with an option for a second year loan spell from Barcelona.[39] Director of footballMarc Overmars and CEO Michael Kinsbergen flew into Barcelona a day prior to finalize the deal.[40] Bojan explained that conversations withJohan Cruyff had influenced his decision to move to Ajax, as well as the opportunity to play in the Champions League.[41][42] Bojan made his debut for his new club on 13 July 2013 in a pre-season friendly encounter againstWaalwijk. The match ended in a 5–1 victory for Ajax at theMandemakers Stadion, as he was substituted on forDanny Hoesen in the 60th minute, assistingBoban Lazić in the final goal for theAmsterdam side in the closing minutes of the game.[43] He scored his first goal for Ajax in another pre-season friendly encounter, this time againstWerder Bremen on 19 July 2013, scoring the second goal for Ajax in the 43rd minute in the 3–2 away win in Germany.[44]
On 27 July 2013, Bojan won his first trophy with Ajax, winning theJohan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup) againstAZ Alkmaar, 3–2 after extra time.[45] He started the match on theright wing, playing for 61 minutes before being substituted off forLucas Andersen, as Ajax acquired their eighth Dutch Super Cup title overall.[46] Following a hamstring injury sustained on 29 September 2013 in a 6–0 victory overGo Ahead Eagles, Bojan scored his first regular season goal after eight weeks of absence on 1 December 2013 in a 4–0 victory inThe Hague overDen Haag in the 90th minute of the match.[47][48] On 8 May 2014, it was announced that Ajax would waive the option to extend Bojan's contract, with Bojan returning to Barcelona, having scored four goals in 24 regular season matches (5 goals in 32 matches overall) and helping Ajax to secure their 33rdEredivisie title and fourth consecutive.[49]
On 22 July 2014, Bojan signed a four-year contract withPremier League sideStoke City for €1.8 million.[50][51][52] ManagerMark Hughes said, "Anyone who knows European football will be aware of him as a player and the fact that he sees his future at Stoke City is really exciting."[52]
Bojan scored his first goal for Stoke in a 1–2 friendly defeat againstSchalke 04 on 29 July 2014.[53] He also scored in friendlies againstBlackburn Rovers andReal Betis.[54][55] He made his league debut at home on 16 August, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–0 defeat toAston Villa.BBC Sport said that Bojan "impressed" for Stoke in the match.[56] However, after a couple of ineffective performances, Hughes stated that he was prepared to give Bojan time to adapt to English football.[57][58] He returned to the starting line-up on 1 November 2014 in a 2–2 draw againstWest Ham United.[59] Eight days after that, he scored his first Stoke goal to open a 2–1 win atTottenham Hotspur, a dribble followed by a shot from outside the penalty area.[60] On 6 December 2014, Bojan scored in a 3–2 win overArsenal.[61] On 26 December, he won a contested penalty in the first half atGoodison Park when refereeLee Mason declared that he had been fouled byEverton'sJames McCarthy; Bojan then converted the spot-kick pastTim Howard for the only goal of the game.[62] Bojan scored in a 1–0 victory againstLeicester City on 17 January 2015.[63] Nine days later, he scored his fifth goal of the season in a 4–1 victory in theFA Cup fourth round againstRochdale, but was later substituted having suffered a knee injury which ruled him out for the remainder of the2014–15 season.[64][65]
Bojan returned from injury in July 2015 playing in a pre-season friendly againstBrentford.[66] He made his first league start for over eight months on 19 September 2015, scoring in a 2–2 draw against Leicester City.[67] A month later, he won a fourth-minute penalty when fouled bySwansea City'sAshley Williams, and dispatched it pastŁukasz Fabiański for the only goal of the game at theLiberty Stadium.[68] Bojan signed a new contract with Stoke in February committing him to the club until the summer of 2020.[69] Towards the end of the campaign, however, he lost his place in the side, spending most of his time on the bench.[70] In total, he played 31 times for Stoke in2015–16, scoring seven goals as thePotters finished in ninth position.[71][72]
Bojan struggled for playing time under Hughes in2016–17 starting just five league matches in six months and in January 2017, Bojan admitted he would be ready to leave Stoke in order to gain regular football.[73]
On 29 January 2017, Bojan joinedBundesliga sideMainz 05 on loan for the remainder of the2016–17 season.[74] Mainz were struggling in a relegation battle at the bottom of the table and Bojan admitted he was surprised at their situation.[75] He scored his first goal for Mainz in a 2–2 draw againstBayern Munich, making him only the seventh player to score in the fourtop leagues in Europe.[76] Bojan helped Mainz secure their Bundesliga status with a 4–2 win againstEintracht Frankfurt on 13 May 2017.[77]
On 31 August 2017, Bojan joinedLa Liga sideAlavés on a season-long loan deal.[78] Bojan played 15 times for Alavés in2017–18 as the team finished in 14th position.[79]
Bojan remained with Stoke in thesecond tier for the2018–19 season. Despite being a fan favorite he struggled to impress managerGary Rowett.[80] The situation came to a head in late December when Bojan was left out of the squad againstBolton Wanderers and supporters began chanting for his inclusion which angered Rowett.[81] Rowett was soon sacked and replaced byNathan Jones, but Bojan again struggled to establish himself as a regular starter.[82] He played 23 times in 2018–19 as Stoke finished in 16th position and it was reported that he was told to look for another club.[83] He left Stoke by mutual consent on 6 August 2019.[84]
On 7 August 2019, Bojan joinedMajor League Soccer sideMontreal Impact with a deal through to the end of the 2020 season.[85] He made his debut four days later in a 2–3 loss againstChicago Fire, replacingShamit Shome in the 63rd minute.[86] On 25 August, he scored his first goal with a 25-yard strike to open a 1–2 loss away toToronto FC in theCanadian Classique; it was his first goal in 11 months.[87]
In December 2020, with the Impact declining to activate the option to keep him for the next year, Bojan was left out of theirCONCACAF Champions League squad.[88]
In August 2021, Bojan joinedJ1 League clubVissel Kobe.[89] He made his debut on 5 September, coming on in the 75th minute for former Barcelona teammateAndrés Iniesta in a 1–1 draw atSanfrecce Hiroshima.[90] On 2 October, on for the same player, he scored his first goal to conclude a 5–1 home victory overUrawa Red Diamonds.[91] Krkić found himself without a club as of January 2023 after being left out of the squad by Vissel Kobe.[92]
Bojan shot to prominence as a 15-year-old[94] at theUEFAEuropean Under-17 Championship inLuxembourg in May 2006 when he was joint top-scorer, despite being a year younger than most of the other players in the tournament and only playing 40 minutes in four out of Spain's five matches. He scored ahat-trick against Luxembourg before inspiring his side to a 3–0 victory over the eventual championsRussia, with all of the goals being scored after he came on as a second-half substitute. In the third match, he scored apenalty after once again being introduced at half time. He started the semi-final against theCzech Republic but, after his teammate Roberto García was sent off, Spain struggled and lost 0–2 in a shock result. In the third-place play-off, Bojan was once again a second-half substitute and scored the opener in the 53rd minute. When the match went to penalties, he scored and Spain won 5–4 to finish third. In the 2007 European Under-17 Football Championship, Bojan led Spain to victory, scoring the only goal againstEngland in the final. He also scored in the semi-final againstBelgium.
There was controversy surrounding Bojan's call up to the Spain U17 squad for the2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup inSouth Korea, because Barcelona wanted to keep him so that he could be part of their Asian tour. TheRoyal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) denied the request, and further controversy arose when the RFEF denied one of Barcelona's medics, Ricard Pruna, the opportunity to accompany Bojan to the tournament to monitor atendon problem in the player's knee.
During the tournament, Bojan scored five goals, finishing as joint third top scorer along withGermany midfielderToni Kroos. He was inspirational in leading Spain to the final. In the semi-final againstGhana, however, Bojan was sent off for his secondyellow card with only seconds left to play. He was suspended for the final and Spain lost toNigeria on penalties. Because of his performances, Bojan was given theAdidas Bronze Ball, naming him the third best player in the tournament, behind Nigeria'sMacauley Chrisantus (silver) and Toni Kroos (gold).[95]
Bojan scored for theSpanish under-21s in their 2–0 win overPoland, on 12 October 2007, quickly establishing himself as an important player, also prompting rumours of an eventual call-up fromsenior side's managerLuis Aragonés. Bojan was selected in the squad for the2009 UEFA Under-21 Championship. The Spanish team, however, underperformed and picked up one point from their first two games, leaving progression almost impossible. Bojan was called up to the Spain U-21 squad for2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Bojan was approached to play forSerbia in 2008 but declined because of his wish to play for Spain.[96][97] He was included in the Spanish squad for a friendly game againstFrance on 6 February 2008. Should he have featured in that match, Bojan would have made history by becoming the youngest player ever to represent Spain at 17 years, 5 months and 9 days, eclipsingÁngel Zubieta's record of 17 years and 9 months, which had stood for over 70 years.[98] Bojan, however, fell ill and could not play.[99]
On 17 May 2008, it was revealed that Bojan had been left out of Spain's23-man squad forUEFA Euro 2008 having asked if he could be left out on personal grounds, and also citing fatigue.[100] In an interview withThe Guardian ten years later, he revealed that he missed both his international debut and UEFA Euro 2008 because ofanxiety issues, covering it up by giving other reasons he could not play. Bojan claims that hismental health issues were well known by members of theSpanish Football Federation, such as first team coachLuis Aragonés, sporting directorFernando Hierro and teammateCarles Puyol.[101]
He made his full Spanish debut on 10 September 2008 (at 18 years and 13 days) underVicente del Bosque againstArmenia, where he came on during the last ten minutes forSanti Cazorla and played on the right wing for his only senior cap.[102]
Bojan withCatalonia in its friendly againstArgentina on 22 December 2009.
Bojan made his official debut withCatalonia in the friendly match against theBasque Country, on 29 December 2007 inBilbao and he scored the Catalan goal in the 1–1 draw. He also scored a year later on 29 December 2008 in the 2–1 win overColombia and in the 4–2 win againstArgentina, on 22 December 2009. He scored twice and also provided two assists in a 4–0 win againstHonduras, on 29 December 2010.
On 25 March 2019, Bojan scored the opening goal in a 2–1 friendly match victory overVenezuela at Girona's Montilivi Stadium.[103]
On 13 September 2023, he became the football coordinator at his former clubBarcelona, with his main task being monitoring the youngsters atLa Masia, along with head of youth department,Alexanko.[104]
His father,Bojan Krkić Sr, was a professional footballer inYugoslavia and a scout for FC Barcelona. Bojan was eligible to play football forSerbia through his father.
According to a genealogical research conducted byDiari Segre in 2011, Bojan is a fourth cousin of former teammateLionel Messi; both are the great-great-great-grandchildren of Mariano Pérez Miralles and Teresa Llobrera Minguet, who married inEl Poal in the CatalanComarca of Pla d'Urgell in 1846.[105] The finding had a very significant coverage in Spanish media: it was reported by all four major sports newspapers[106][107][108][109] and by some of the largest general-interest newspapers, includingABC andLa Vanguardia.[110][111][112]