A young Croatian star rejects the bright lights of the Bernabau and Stamford Bridge.
He is one of Croatia’s brightest young talents – perhaps the brightest – and when top European clubs such as Chelsea and Real Madrid came calling, it was expected that Ante Coric would be leaving Dinamo Zagreb, but the 18 year-old has rejected the bright lights of the top European stages to continue his career in Zagreb for the forseeable future, according to the Daily Express on January 8, 2016.
“I am very happy that Chelsea and Real Madrid want me but I know I wouldn’t play there,” he told 24sata. “They would send me out on loan, perhaps to a lesser club or a lesser league.
“So I know staying is the best decision.”
“I only want better treatment and they have promised me that,” he added. “I know that I will play more now, be a key player and this is most important for me. If the fans back me, I could stay at Dinamo my whole career. This is my club.”
Regareded as one of the best young prospects in Europe, Coric became the youngest ever goalscorer in the Europa League aged 17 years and 157 days, and it is not the first time he has said no to Chelsea, rejecting them, as well as Barcelona and Bayern Munich in 2009, preferring to join the youth academy at Red Bull Salzburg, saying at the time:
“I wanted to become a Red Bull Salzburg player because my team-mates here are better than players of the same age anywhere else. We train better and more often than others. And I was very impressed by how warmly I was welcomed.”
Check out the skills of the Croatian wunderkind in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-22uQO6phg
