RAKITIC, ON ABP: "I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW SEVILLA FC TO THE CROATIAN PEOPLE"

Ivan Rakitic was born in Switzerland and is now a Sevillano, but everyone is fully aware that this week he will return to Croatia, the country which he represented on 106 occasions. He was the guest on A Balón Parado tonight, and spoke about how special the UEFA Europa League tie against Dinamo Zagreb is: "It's nice to play at this stadium, it's where my journey with the national team began. I'm happy to have this opportunity to show Sevilla FC to the Croatian people". 

Despite spending six years at FC Barcelona in between his two spells at the club, he has made over 200 appearances for the club: "I'm proud to have played so many matches and to equal Juan Martagón and Dani Alves. But the main thing is continuing to enjoy my time with Navas, who has more matches than anyone else, and climbing that table. I wasn't born a Sevillano nor a Sevillista but I will die as both. My home is here in Seville and that will never change. What Sevilla have given to me, I'll never be able to give back".