Is Luka’s place on the Croatian national team in question?
Perhaps the most talked about Croatian athlete, Luka Modrić has been the subject of quite a bit of abuse lately after he changed his testimony in the trial against Mamić, forcing the footballer to question his place on the Croatian national team. Resting after a grueling club season at Real Madrid, Luka sat down for an interview in Zadar with Vecernji List on July 8, 2017.
“This is a very awkward and complicated situation, but I have a clear conscience. I just hope that everything will end quickly. I can not speak any more on the subject, it is not nice and it’s complicated. This is something that happened many years ago and for me, everything that has happened surrounding this is very difficult, but I’ve endured a lot of things in life and I am sure that I will endure this too and that it will all be over soon so I could forget it. There are a lot of people who are against me, but they do not know how things are. Of course, this is very difficult, but I cannot get out of my skin,” said an emotional Modrić.
“I still have not made a final decision, we will see. Now I want to concentrate on preparations with Real Madrid,” Luka added.
The European and Spanish champion of Real Madrid begins preparations on Monday in Madrid, after which he will travel to the US with the team to play three warm-up matches against Manchester United, Manchester City and Barcelona.
“I still do not know how long I will play. I cannot say exactly how many years I have left in football but I will continue to work like this and keep up with my body…Of course, I would love to end my career at Real Madrid, it’s my dream. We’ll see what happens.”
Modrić had an excellent season at Real Madrid, winning the Spanish Championship and defending his title in the Champions League – an amazing accomplishment for the Croatian footballer.
“We had a bench with depth last season. We had a coach with merit who knew how to get the most out of each player which helped us be at the top last season. We all played at a high level. That was the difference compared to last season when we were all tired in the end. Having all of these rotations helped the coach because every player off the bench played well and helped the team. It was a lot easier to fulfil what Zidane wanted. These were the key details to win two years in a row,” said Modrić, who added:
“The finals of Champions League? I did not watch the recording of the match completely, only the highlights, several times.”
The Croatian maestro has won the Champions League three times, making him the most successful Croatian footballer in history. What did he remember most about these three finals?
“I remember the character of the team, the spirit and the refusal to give up.”
Luka recalled when he first began at Real Madrid. Although some doubted him, he was full of confidence.
“I never doubted myself, I knew that I would succeed in Madrid. From the first day of training you are required to be at the highest level, the demands are incredible, and I knew I would suffer a little, that I would not be able to show what I could show later. But I also enjoyed those moments, from the very first day, when I was put in those difficult situations I did not stop trusting myself. I had to do more in order to succeed. The situation from the beginning helped me learn a lot and helped me for the future.”
Will Luka, our captain, remain on the Croatian national team? Only time will tell.
