In a bombshell revelation that has stunned the football world, Manchester City’s £77 million defensive powerhouse Josko Gvardiol has admitted he came dangerously close to abandoning his dream of becoming a professional footballer – all for the love of basketball.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the 23-year-old Croatian international revealed that during his teenage years at Dinamo Zagreb, he was so disillusioned with football that he seriously considered quitting to pursue a career on the court. “I was thinking about quitting because I like basketball as well,” Gvardiol confessed. “I wasn’t sure about football anymore… I didn’t feel happy when I got to the training ground.”
At just 16, Gvardiol struggled to get playing time with Zagreb’s youth squad. Watching his friends thrive in basketball only intensified his doubts. “I was just trying to find other solutions and to feel happier,” he said, painting a picture of a young talent on the brink of walking away from what would become a meteoric rise through the ranks of European football.
Fortunately for the football world, Gvardiol stayed the course. He eventually broke into Dinamo Zagreb’s first team, winning consecutive domestic titles and capping off his time in Croatia with a league and cup double. His £16 million move to RB Leipzig set a record for a Croatian teenager, and it was there that he flourished – making 87 appearances across two seasons and catching the attention of Pep Guardiola.
In 2023, Gvardiol signed a five-year deal with Manchester City for a jaw-dropping £77 million, making him the second-most expensive defender in history, behind only Harry Maguire. Still, the gravity of how close he came to leaving it all behind is difficult to ignore.
“If you go five years back and ask me, do you see yourself at Manchester City? I would say, ‘No chance.’ It felt impossible,” Gvardiol admitted.
Since arriving at City, Gvardiol has cemented his place in Guardiola’s system, switching seamlessly between left-back and centre-back. Despite a dip in team form last season, he was among the most-used players globally – featuring in 55 of City’s 61 matches and racking up more than 6,000 minutes for club and country. His versatility and endurance have not gone unnoticed. Guardiola recently praised the Croatian as “incredible, coachable, and physically outstanding.”
This season, Gvardiol has returned to his preferred centre-back role, and the results are clear: fewer goals conceded and a revitalized backline. With City unbeaten in five and eyeing silverware once more, Gvardiol’s near-defection to basketball is a surreal what-if moment in football history.
What remains most shocking is not just how close Gvardiol came to giving up football – but how different the sport might look today had he done so.