Alen Halilović

Arizona Scott

New member
Ok, but for example, France Football, top 10 young players who will be best players in 2020:
http://www.weloba.com/munir-and-halilovic-are-in-the-top10-of-the-best-young-players

The article is from 2015.
In that moment, the biggest talents in the world were:


In hindsight, it is interesting to check 3 years later, how these "best" talents in the world developed and how many of them are playing or ready to play in the biggest clubs.

I am surprised how many of them panned out. Half of them are good players, playing in top leagues. The fact Marquihos and Sterling were two of the top 3--and each yeah among the best at their age or younger in their position. Looks to me much better scouting than other sports.
 

Ataraxia

New member
Halilovic's dribbling and ball control is something Milan dont have. Anyway for a free transfer, this is the best deal Milan have made this season. Halilovic at 21-22 years old now is the same age Suso was when Milan bought him ( also basically for free) years ago. Look where Suso is now ...if Suso can become Milan's best player, then Halilovic who is much more talented can also do the same. I am sure Suso's story's similarity is the reason they bought Halilovic. Nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
 

Devils

Senior Member
I called it from the start that this guy was going to be a flop.

There was a time Barca fans thought our future line-up was going to be this guy in midfield along with Jean Marie Dongou in attack.

I'm proud to never have bought into such delusion. lmao!
 

God Serena

New member
I called it from the start that this guy was going to be a flop.

There was a time Barca fans thought our future line-up was going to be this guy in midfield along with Jean Marie Dongou in attack.

I'm proud to never have bought into such delusion. lmao!

I really can't recall anyone predicting Dongou would be in our attack. The guy was never once even remotely impressive for the B team, at any level.

The Halilovic hype was through the roof, though. The 'Next Messi" tag was something his fanboys would not shut up about. I personally don't think he was ever good enough to promote from Barca B, but he had a clause in his contract that guaranteed him promotion, which is probably what ended up ruining his career.
 

Devils

Senior Member
I really can't recall anyone predicting Dongou would be in our attack. The guy was never once even remotely impressive for the B team, at any level.

The Halilovic hype was through the roof, though. The 'Next Messi" tag was something his fanboys would not shut up about. I personally don't think he was ever good enough to promote from Barca B, but he had a clause in his contract that guaranteed him promotion, which is probably what ended up ruining his career.

Man, there were so many people claiming that guy was going to be the next Eto'o. Especially since he came to Barca through the Eto'o Foundation in Cameroon.

But yeah agreed, he was absolutely terrible at the youth level.
 

xXKonan

Senior Member
A lot of Alen's issues were self-inflicting for the most part.

After his season with Sporting Gijon, we wanted him to get more experience at a bigger La Liga club. His move at Valencia apparently fell through after him and his entourage was making some rather big demands that Valencia ended up scoffing at.

For some dumb reason, he thought it would be a brilliant idea to request a transfer to Hamburg of all teams despite us telling him that was a terrible idea, yet he persisted and we sold him to the club with a buyback option. And low and behold it ended up being the worst thing he has done and his career there was bascially over before it even started.

It all went downhill for him since then. He had talent but he wasn't smart at all and wouldn't listen to what we were telling him and he and his entourage thought they knew what was best for his career. Instead, he's now in Belgium after being deemed not good enough for even Milan.
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
It all went downhill for him since then. He had talent but he wasn't smart at all and wouldn't listen to what we were telling him and he and his entourage thought they knew what was best for his career. Instead, he's now in Belgium after being deemed not good enough for even Milan.

He was the same since the age of 16.
He had 2 moves in his game: dribble past 5 players and shoot.
Or play a 1-2 with a central player and shoot.

In Dinamo Zagreb, I have caught the reactions of his teammates 100s of times when they would ask in a disbelief: wtf are you doing?

Aged 18, he already had a fight with Croatian journalists who dared to question his abilities on a youth NT Euros.
He scored a goal in the next game, turned to cameras and said: shut up journos (as if: who are you to question me)?

His fall is imo a combination:
1. Of an insane hype. All Croatian and some European papers were calling him the next Messi
2. Secondly, his father and him bought a hype and he started to believe that he is really a generational talent.
Due to that he wanted too much too soon, like being promoted to Barca A too soon, not wanting to play for smaller teams and he also got mad at an NT coach Kovac before Euros 2016 because he didn't call him into an Nt team for Euros.
Then, Halil refused to play for Croatian youth teams after that saying that he is too good for that level.
3. On top of all, he really has a low IQ.
4. And very weak physique.

All in all, he was never that good.
He had some nice skills and resemblance to Messi in a way how he runs with the ball and dribbles and fans and media overhyped him probably by 300-1000%.

A kid is a victim of a modern era of internet, youtube and social media where everything NEW is insanely overhyped.
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
Reports in Croatia say that he is unhappy at Standard Liege after he hasn't played a minute in the first 4 matches in Belgium.

He wants to leave the club.

What's next?
He wasn't good enough for Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium.
Barca B, Gijon, Las Palmas, Hamburg, Milan, Standard.
He should try in Czech Republic and Austria now.

Only 3 years ago he was the next Messi and a future Barca's starter as a CAM or Rw.
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
Our golden boy, the next Messi, who got released from almost every club after Barca: Sporting Gijon, Hsv Hamburg, Las Palmas, Milan, Standard Liege, Heerenveen, Birmingham, Reading.

This season he returned to a Croatian club, Rijeka, who are 8th on the table out of 10 clubs.

But, he got fired even from a bottom table Croatian club due to bad displays.

After that he went on a medical to Aris, Greece.
But apparently, he is totally unfit and Aris declined to sign him.

Guy is unfit for football, aged 26.

Back in the days, our sporting directors chosed this guy over Odegaard, when we apparently had money to sign only one of them.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
BBZ still going on about Halilovic?

Why not the dedication to the 'better than Messi' Braithwaite?

Just call every youngster shite that Barca sign or comes through then ignore the ones that go on to do far better than expected.

Is there an answer yet BBZ on who should be in Spain team ahead of Pedri since Lucho only picks him due to bias?
 

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