Službeni debi Dominika Livakovića (31) at the door Barcelona against Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan attracted a lot of attention from the Spanish public. The arrival of the Croatian national team goalkeeper in the ranks of the Catalan club marked the end of the restructuring process between the goal posts led by sports director Deco.
After the club went through changing former captain Ter Stegen, Iñaki Peña and experienced Wojciech Szczesny in goal, the leadership of Barcelona decided to further strengthen the competition. Livaković arrived with a compensation of two million euros with the possibility of additional variables, which surprised the Spaniards considering his quality.
Prague: Players warming up before the UEFA Nations League match between the Czech Republic and Croatia |
He announced himself for Madrid’s Diario As Nenad Bjelicawho coached Livakovi in Dinamo, and is known to Spaniards because he left a noticeable mark performing for Betis and Albacete. To begin with, he explained that Livaković he does not have a problematic character and why he did not want to play for Girona last season.
– Livaković wanted to ensure continuity and appearance at the World Cup. Before arriving in Girona moreć made an official appearance for Fenerbahce at the beginning of the season. If he had played in the King’s Cup for Girona, he would have lost the possibility of moving to a third club within the same competition year, while coach Míchel then preferred Gazzaniga. If he didn’t have minutes, he would have threatened his status in the national team. Dominik is not a problem player at all; the wordč is about a goalkeeper with a strong character and an extremely correct person – explained Bjelica.
The Spanish newspaper also recalled Livakov’s key moments at the World Championship in Qatar, where he was one of the most deserving players for winning a new world medal by saving penalties against Japan and Brazil.
Shakhtar and Dinamo played 2:2 in the third round of Group C of the Champions League
Journalist Asa referred to the well-known conversation with captain Luka Modric about dealing with pressure, and Bjelica emphasized that Livakov’s success was primarily the result of his personal development:
– Neither Modri, nor I, nor anyone else deserve his status. Dominik achieved everything with his own work and perseverance. He has the level of play required for Barcelona and I am convinced that, whenever he gets the chance, he will react in the best possible way. The competition with Joan Garcia is strong, but he has learned to work hard, wait for his opportunity and respond to demands on the field – concluded Bjelica.