It look’s like Niko Kranjčar’s next team will be in North America.
After his contract ended with Dynamo Kyiv at the end of 2015, the 31 year-old Kranjčar was unable to pick up another loan gig following his stint with former club QPR. Now the former Croatia international will be training with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL). Kranjčar has stated that he will just be training with the club, but we can only assume that he will sign with the Cosmos or possibly join an MLS club if they come calling. The NASL serves as 2nd division to U.S.A’s and Canada’s Major League Soccer.
If Kranjčar signs with a MLS club, would you buy a ticket when he comes to your city?
Plus – With the exception of maybe Edmonton – these NASL stadiums for the most part fill up. Probably more fun for a player to play in front of 5,000 soccer fans in a capacity stadium than 500 Mamic-protesting football fans in a 37k seater.
Meh, Honestly, quality-wise, (for the most part, minus DInamo, hajduk, and Rijeka) The NASL > HNL. Money wise, he’ll be puling in about $50k/season AND the team will take care of his housing, cost of living, transportation, etc… It’s league policy to not release how much money these guys are making tho, so Can’t be sure. This is just from years of working with/closely following the Rowdies here in St. Petersburg, but it’s still speculation. I don’t think it’s a bad move considering he’s been mostly riding the bench of every big club he’s been at for the past 8 yrs or so.
He’ll enjoy living in New York, making money, and traveling the US. You can’t beat that realistically.
with the analogy of his career and that shot i meant..
Poglavnik – i agree with u 100% and u hit the nail on the head with the crossbar Japan shot. Totally right. I still (sadly) remember them very well, Le Sigh.
A lot of alcoholic Croats produce super strong and healthy children.
We’re a strong people because of our genes.
Survival of the fittest.
I don’t want it to appear that I am ripping Kranjcar. It’s not my style to repo people. He was a good player, but never at a level where he was going to be a difference maker against top teams. Always a player who had the skill, but could not bring it for 90 minutes. Face it, the dude had bad genes because of the alcohol factor with his father.
Better talents because that was a low point, especially from 2002 – 2006
Maybe not elite or world-class but one of our best talents from about 2004-2010
@Ravni……negative. What did I post that was wrong. Kranjcar was never elite. Take away his last name and nobody comments about him.
Kranjcar could run, he was never fit enough…there’s a big difference and he always had world class skill…i’ve always been most disappointed in guys who had such immense skill but lacked a professional work ethic.
@Ziva
You have have finally proven to all of us that you have no clue what you’re talking about. Budala.
Kranjcar lived up to and exceeded his ability. Anyone who bought into the hype and actually believed his was the “next one” was a delusional homer. Don’t know how anyone thought he would be elite when he can’t run. The guy made it into the EPL, that was his ceiling. If he wasn’t Cico’s son nobody would have ever paid attention to him. His career was that of most players with his ability. Sound technical skill means shit when you can’t run.
Kranjcar will be remembered years down the line.
He was supposed to be the “next one.”
I’ll never forget that crossbar he hit against the Japs in ’06.
Hitting the crossbar could be an analogy for his achieved potential.
I liken him to the NHL’s Eric Lindros.
@ Faux Cro
In effect.
Yes I would definitely go watch him. He played a major role in the NT for several years.
I don’t think he can really fit well into any good HNL side, maybe Lokomotiva but that’s a 2nd tier HNL club. Also Hajduk now with so many players leaving but I don’t think he wants to deal with the fans/politics over there at this point in his career. I’m guessing he just wants to explore N.America before fully retiring. Smart move, probably doesn’t care about the pay.
Actually, there are some guys in the NASL or whatever they call it who make more than players in the MLS. Mostly guys who has some MLS experience and the NASL club hooks them up with coaching jobs with their youth programs in addition to playing for the club. There are some guys in NASL who are pulling in close to six figures. Again, not an ideal job because most of these guys don’t have anything to fall back on after they are playing. Coaching a youth program doesn’t pay much. Maybe the overall youth director at one fot he MLS clubs pays, but that is it and those jobs are few.
And outside of Rijeka, Hajduk and Dinamo…..players in Cro don’t make shit. An average player at Osijek or Split is not pulling in more than $40K, not even close.
As for Kranjcar……we have no clue what is in his head. maybe he is done with soccer at the highest of levels and prefers to chill now playing at a lower level but in a city of his choosing. I know his old man blew a ton of money because of drinking and gambling, but I have to assume the old man set his kids up well before Kranjcar was a pro. Cico gets hired and fired all the time from these Arab clubs and these Arab clubs pay money. Plus, I’m guessing Kranjcar saved something in his playing career. Again, I don’t know. But if the dude wants to be a soccer tourist, who cares. I know guys in the business world who chill out after making money or selling their company.
The only negative you can say about Kranjcar is that he is not with his young child. He went the NBA/NFL crnac route with his kid.
Raul was a fuckload better than Kranjcar tho
i mean the age gap isnt enough
Remember, Raul did so much for Real over so many years and also Spain at major tourneys.. Kranjcar was gifted, but he didnt produce anything even close to Raul. So Raul at 38 and Kranjcar at 31 ? Not a huge gap tbh with u
also ive got an idea for u fuckers.. maybe
(1) he doesnt need the money to play in NA
(2) he doesnt want to play in NA just to live there
here’s an idea:
maybe he wants a new and unique challenge, ala Henry?
Why can’t that be the case?
stop trying to psychoanalyse his move jeez
u know how sometimes when u play FIFA on XBOX One u choose a shitty team – for the challenge? and sometimes u choose the Seattle Sounders, or even worse, the Brisbane Road, u know, for a challenge?
same reason u choose a shitty team for a challenge when u play a game, might be the same reason ol porky chops wants to play in NA
@Meta Body:
I will meet you at the stadium
@ Mishko
I always liked Kranjčar’s game.
But if you are not in top shape how can you “give everything to the NT?”
31 has a technical gifted player should still be near your peak.
Hit the hills, track and explosive power training.
@ Svima
If he is shape I will take my 8 year old to see him. If he is an overweight scrub then it is a stereotype threat.
Nobody has anything to say abt a fellow croat trying to sound like Steven A Smith? Damn right embarassing.
I have never watched an Mls or nasl game, and am pretty sure Kranjcar would not change that streak. If he goes to nasl it would most likely be an attempt for citizenship. He won’t like what he finds in the states, and will leave asap.
1-0 USA.
Alidore with an 89th minute winner.
Boooo-S-A…
My internet isn’t working. How did the USA-Canada game end?
Ivan Juric’s Crotone with a BIG win today at Bari in Serie B.
They leapfrog Cagliari to get into first place. Ante Budimir with a 90th minute game winning goal for the 3-2 win.
They now have an 8 point cushion for automatic promotion to Serie A next season.
And in International friendly soccer news tonight, Canada is still tied with the U.S. after 30 mins!
Russia 2018, here we come!!
Just got to get our boy Teibert on that pitch, right Slavonac? 😉
It’s got to be a lifestyle choice then.
I wonder how’s his marital status?
Ziva (TMZ), I’m looking to you…
I’d come to the States for the chicks alone if I were a pro athlete!
20K, 30K, or 40K….doesn’t matter.
Kranjcar was just now getting paid over 40K in a single week. Not sure why he even bothers playing a season for an annual salary that wouldn’t even make a ripple in his bank account.
He either signs with an MLS club for a few hundred thousand or just goes back to the HNL or some Europa league caliber club (for the same kind of money) or just simply retires. NASL just doesn’t make any sense.
I am pretty sure the Cosmos play to 500 fans on astroturf at Hofstra University.
^LMAO
$30,000 CDN.
Which is about $14.28 American right now…
My buddy used to make about $30,000 a season playing for the Whitecaps about 10 years ago when they were in the A League. Also in the offseason they’d hook him up with soccer related jobs that paid decently. I’m guessing Kranjcar would be making a bit more..
First of all,
Raul played for the Cosmos for only one season, and it was when he was 38. Kranjcar is only 31. That’s a significant gap.
Secondly, believe it or not, a footballer’s salary in the HNL is greater than a salary in the NASL. Almost everyone posting on this site makes more than an NASL player. Whatever negative thing you can say about the HNL, it’s worse in the NASL.
Also, I doubt Kranjcar is playing in the NASL because he wants to live in the States. But even if he does want to live in the States, then why bother playing for an NASL team at all? He can just rent or buy a place and chill in New York for a year or so. Why risk injury playing with amateurs for a measly 20K? But if he’s still serious about staying in “shape” and playing for a club in the future while living in the States, then you go MLS or nothing. Not NASL.
@ziva
No shame in not brining your kid here…….this is not a ideal place to raise a child …….or a ZDS lifestyle as you like to put it
I have not read anything concrete that he will play for the Cosmos, only that he is training with them. Don’t forget, Raul played for them the last few seasons.
Why would he want to come back to Cro and play soccer in shitty stadiums with no wifi, no HD with a lack of quality food while with 500 people watching….
I don’t blame anyone for wanting to come to the US to play soccer after making money playing in Europe. He knows his career is nearing tis end. Why not go to a place where you actually want to live. For a lot of these guys its not about winning, its about the lifestyle. And, there is nothing wrong with that if that is what they prefer.
We make the same decisions. Some people will pass on a better paying job with better benefits for a job with less pay as long as there is a better work/life balance. Same thing here he Kranjcar.
Hope he opens the doors for future Hrvati looking to wind down their careers over here.
I’m looking at you Olic, Jelavic, Srna, etc…
It might not pay as much but playing footy in North America is a lifestyle choice for these guys. Beats working in the Middle East or Asia if you ask me.
Besides, he made some nice coin in London for years.
Davno smo rekli….nikad vise….1950
NASL?
Uff. That’s awful. Are there seriously no other options in Europe? Or even the HNL?
I really wish Niko the best, he gave everything for the NT and should be respected.
It’s kranjch time for Niko, good one hey!
Makes sense…..plenty of McDonald’s to chose from.
However (and when I say however, I say it like Stephen A. Smith would say it)……….what a crappy father he is leaving his kid at home.
I’ll get in b4 fagZiva an d say he’ll certainly enjoy the food if nothing else