With Croatia in the final, but star of Switzerland

But Croatia's midfield star represents the transformation of a now multicultural Europe – with all its difficulties. The 30-year-old receives international recognition before the "Game of our life" and is completely electrified: "I have the feeling that hundreds of millions are for us on Sunday. I have news from Germany, from all over the world. Which makes me really happy. "

Born in Rheinfelden son of Croatian parents also Swiss nationality, once played for junior selection of the Confederates, later in the Bundesliga at Schalke 04, is now a star at FC Barcelona – and Attacks with Croatia for the first time after the cup at a World Cup.

According to the Swiss press agency Keystone-SDA, Rakitic is the first player with a Swiss passport, who denies a World Cup final. Sunday's international match (5 pm CEST) against France at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow is expected to culminate in a career at several stations.

"Words to describe feelings do not exist," said Rakitic, after the triumph of semi-final against England. "For this you have to look very long in the Duden – or invent something new."

His first club was the FC Möhlin -Riburg on the German-Swiss border. Already at Aged 17, the blond boy played for FC Basel in the first division. In the midst of his U21 time, he changed the Confederate jersey to that of his Croatian ancestors – and was involved in vicious insults. "I do not want my situation from this time to anyone," he said in an interview "Blick" in recent days.

The subject has once again boiled at the World Cup, from all places. The secretary general of the Swiss Football Association (ASF), Alex Miescher, had demanded that his second pass be played for the junior national team and asked in an interview: "Do you want to we double citizens? "

opportunity The controversial goals of Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri in a 2-1 victory in the World Cup qualifier against Serbia. The pros with Kosovo Albanian roots showed the so-called double eagle with their arms and hands and provoked the Serbian opponents. For Miescher 's statements, the SFV apologized on Friday: "Errors have occurred and an external effect has been achieved, which has never been desired," said the president of the company. Gilliéron Association: "I am proud of my Swiss passport," said Rakitic. He, too, was familiar with a difficult political and sporting terrain during the transition from SFV to the Croatian Federation. Today, he would be happy, if at that time the rules for a change would have been easier and someone would have made the decision of him at that time – "without the pressure of the public, so that he would not be in the mood. they can just enjoy football. "

In Russia Rakitic shines not only On the side of captain Luka Modric of Real Madrid, but also winner of the game of nerves: in the penalty shootout of the knockout round against Denmark and the quarter-final against Russia, he signed the fifth decisive round

. Final 2015 against Juventus, when Barcelona won 3-1. Rakitic has long been a sovereign commuter between all football worlds. Nobody should blame him for his lack of attachment to his homeland: "I'm still a fan of Switzerland, if we do not play against the Nati," he said in the interview with "Blick"