Barcelona midfielder reveals how he was approached by Croatian nationwide staff

Dani Olmo was one among Spain’s most influential gamers of their profitable UEFA Euro 2024 marketing campaign, with the Barcelona playmaker rising as one among their key sources of objectives and creativity.

At age 26, Olmo has featured in 41 matches for the Spanish nationwide staff and is taken into account a key participant for coach Luis de la Fuente.

Nevertheless, Olmo’s story may have been a complete lot totally different had he made some vital choices earlier in his profession.

Olmo was approached by Croatia

In a latest interview with GQ (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Dani Olmo revealed that the Croatian soccer federation tried to naturalise him in order that he may play for the Hrvatska.

First off, although, the midfielder mentioned his resolution to depart La Masia to hitch Dinamo Zagreb, saying:

“When Dinamo got here for me, I used to be going to make the transition from cadet to youth. The traditional factor would have been to proceed or go to a staff in England, however my dream was to play for Barça.”

“At the moment, I didn’t really feel like they might belief me sooner or later. Dinamo satisfied me with a short- and medium-term undertaking, I educated with professionals and I knew it was the perfect factor for me,” Olmo additional revealed.

Dani Olmo nonetheless retains Dinamo near his coronary heart (Picture by Dan Mullan/Getty Photos)

Olmo performed for Dinamo Zagreb for nearly six years between 2014 and 2020. Throughout this time, he made 124 aggressive matches for the Croatian outfit.

Olmo’s spell at Dinamo Zagreb was essential in serving to him grow to be knowledgeable footballer, earlier than the Spaniard ultimately left the membership to hitch RB Leipzig in 2020.

Explaining his resolution to show down the Croatian nationwide staff, Olmo defined how he all the time had the dream of enjoying for the Spanish nationwide staff.

“I’m Spanish and I’ve all the time felt that approach. They wished to naturalize me for the 2018 World Cup. Possibly they provided me extra safety, however I knew that the chance in Spain was going to return to me.

“After I noticed them attain the ultimate towards France, I used to be actually completely satisfied, however I by no means thought I may have been there or that perhaps I had made a mistake. I had been with the U-21s and my dream was to play for Spain, you may’t change that for a World Cup,” he confessed.

Olmo, although, admitted that Croatia was a vital a part of his life and there may be nonetheless part of Croatia that also lives inside him.

“There’s numerous Croatian in me, I grew up there, I arrived as a boy and left as a person,” he concluded.