Luka Modric, who has been the epitome of Spain’s Real Madrid midfield for the past decade, is almost certain to leave the club at the end of the season. The jewel of Croatian football had to go through a difficult path before he established himself as one of the best players in the history of the royal club.
Photo: SITA/AP, Frank Augstein
Luka Modrič with the trophy for the triumph in the Champions League.
Modric has less than six months left on his contract and his influence on Real’s game is rapidly decreasing. According to the Spanish media, his old age forces him to think about changes in his football life.
The Croatian has several options: Finish his career in his homeland, go to Saudi Arabia or the overseas MLS, or go into sports retirement and stay in the structures of Real Madrid. Regardless of his next move, Modric has built up a huge amount of respect from his fans over the past 10 years.
At the same time, his journey in Madrid began disastrously. For a long time, he could not make his way into the starting line-up, and the media made him really feel his difficult introduction. Step by step, he became a permanent part of the eleven and achieved worldwide recognition.
In the summer of 2008, he transferred from Dinamo Zagreb to Tottenham Hotspur for 21 million euros and was among the three most expensive signings in the history of the English club. After four years in the Premier League, Luca moved to Real Madrid with coach José Mourinho. But under the Portuguese, the midfielder did not have a bed of roses.
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The 2012/13 season generally proved unsuccessful for the royal club. The tense atmosphere and winning the only trophy for the championship finally forced Mourinho to leave.
The media and supporters were looking for someone to blame for the poor results. And Modrič, whom Marca called the worst transfer of the season in Spain, turned out to be a suitable target.
The fact is that the Croatian did not really record much. During the autumn part, he played in 19 matches, but he played an average of only 38 minutes per match and had only one goal to his credit.
“I’m not apologizing, it’s not in my nature, but I have to admit that it’s very difficult to adapt to life in a big club like Real Madrid. I had some good games, maybe I didn’t play that impressive, but I can prove that I have something for the team to offer,” said Modrič at the time.
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But the criticism intensified. He was not seen as a worthy replacement for the slow-finishing Xabi Alonso and was labeled a ‘useless Tottenham guy’. Striker Karim Benzema was similarly criticized at the time, and few knew what the pair would become in the following years.
With the arrival of coach Carlo Ancelotti, the situation changed. The Italian began to trust Modric and proved that the Croatian is capable of successfully operating in the midfield alongside the experienced Xabi Alonso. Luka was already shining on the lawn.
He helped Real Madrid advance to the final of the Champions League over Guardiola’s Bayern Munich after 1-0 and 4-0 results.
In the fight for the coveted trophy against Atlético Madrid, he scored an assist from a corner from which Sergio Ramos equalized in added time and sent the duel to extra time. In it, the white ballet overcame the city rival and won 4:1.
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Then came injuries, a season without trophies, the departure of Ancelotti and the arrival of Rafael Benitez. Nothing good came of the team’s cooperation with the Spanish coach, but it was he who created the phenomenal trio of Kroos – Modrič – Casemiro.
And if under Benitez this striking trio was only taking shape, then under Zinedine Zidane it has already become a real force. Together, this holy trinity won the Champions League four times and became the Spanish champion three times.
In December 2021, coach Ancelotti called this triangle the best central formation of our time. “They have so much experience and ability to play football that they are putting on incredible performances. They move very well on the field and when they are together, no one can match them,” said the Italian.
Modric was never the type of footballer equipped with speed, but he had enormous stamina. His main weapon is football intelligence, which in his case has improved over the years. This is also why he performed his best performances only after his thirties.
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For many years he was an irreplaceable link in Real’s successive attack. And this is mainly due to his ability to move the ball forward and send accurate passes at any distance.
Modric’s defensive work was also admirable. He often helped the defense by creating simple and effective opportunities to develop the attack.
Modrič became a footballer who could do everything on the pitch. At the same time, he never avoided menial work. For example, in El Clásico in December 2016 against Barcelona, he was deployed against Lionel Messi and skilfully took away balls from him in difficult situations.
The 2017/18 season was perhaps the best in the Croatian’s career. Although he did not show excellent statistical indicators, together with Real Madrid, Modric won the third consecutive victory in the Champions League and then reached the final of the World Cup in Russia with the Croatian national team.
After that year, he won the Ballon d’Or for the best footballer in the world, ending the long-term hegemony of Messi and Ronaldo.
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He is currently 38 years old and has a few months left on his contract with Real. He is not getting many opportunities from Ancelotti this season. The Italian prefers and rotates mainly the five midfielders Valverde, Bellingham, Camavinga, Tchuameni and Kroos in the lineup. The Croatian’s time is simply running out.
Spanish journalist Manu Carreño, referring to his sources, said that Modric will not extend his contract with the royal club in any case. According to him, the midfielder understands that his role in the current squad is becoming secondary.
“If an offer comes from Saudi Arabia or the MLS, he can go there. If an offer does not come that tempts him, he can finish the season at Real Madrid, play at EURO 2024 with Croatia and retire from sports,” said Carreño.
No matter what Modric decides, he will forever be inscribed in the rich history of Real Madrid. From a player who was a big disappointment at first, he became the winner of the Ballon d’Or. The famous ten have a chance to say goodbye to Madrid in a masterly manner, as the white ballet is at the head of the top competition.
2024-02-06 19:01:00
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