Barcelona didn't win more titles out of 'boredom', confesses Rakitic

After overcoming the crises following Pep Guardiola's departure, Barcelona entered a bright era of titles and joy on the pitch under Luis Enrique, who in the 2014/15 season won the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble.

There was Ivan Rakitic, who arrived to complement a midfield where Xavi and Iniesta still dominated alongside Sergio Busquets, but needed something more.

In total, the Croatian won four La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey trophies, two Spanish Super Cups, one Champions League, one European Super Cup and one Club World Cup.

In an interview for 'Canal Sur Radio', Rakitic recalled not only the triumphs but the absence of more. "For me, with all my love and respect for all the teams, at Barcelona, we didn't win more titles because of boredom and thinking about things other than football," said the 36-year-old, who now plays for his country's Hajduk Split.

The Catalans had the potential to have won one or at least two more Champions League titles in the years since and the disasters against Roma and Liverpool in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns are fondly remembered.

"We messed up against Roma and Liverpool, but I'm convinced we were affected by that boredom of feeling too superior.

"If you don't give it your all, you don't win. If we had kept our hunger, we would have won one or two more Champions League titles," said Ivan Rakitic, who left the Camp Nou in the summer of 2020 to return to Sevilla.