The Anomaly of Luka Modric: From First Team to Spectator

The second half of the Madrid derby begins and Ancelotti shakes the tree. With the score at 2-1, Joselu enters and Luka Modric leaves. A single replacement. After the defeat, Carletto explained the Croatian’s ownership (“I was trying to find a little more ball control and I wanted to give Tchouameni a rest”) and also the change (“We didn’t point out anyone. And pointing out him, on top of that, would be too much “He hasn’t played a good game, but like the rest of his teammates.” Without looking for anyone responsible other than himself (“It’s all my fault”). However, that first half against Atleti was the last time Modric enjoyed minutes. Against Las Palmas and Girona, to zero. Despite being on the bench. An unprecedented succession of events since 2012, his first season at Real Madrid…

After playing in his first six games as a Real Madrid player, Mourinho, his great supporter, chose to leave the then 19 player without playing short against Ajax and Barça, on the second day of the Champions group stage and in the Clásico garter belt. Simple adaptation since his signing was delayed until the final stretch of the summer and his preseason was atypical. It was on October 3 and 7, 2012. After playing 489 more games for Madrid and almost eleven years later, Modric is once again a spectator of two full games consecutively from the substitute bench. Of course, the context between that 27-year-old Luka with the soul of a playmaker who arrived from Tottenham and the current one, with a Ballon d’Or and 23 titles with the white club in his backpack at 37, have little to do with each other.

Ancelotti has always verbalized that he will be important throughout the season, but the numbers, cold at times and exemplary at others, reflect that Modric is the 15th player in minutes on the squad, with 287′, only ahead of Ceballos, Militao , Brahim, Mendy, Lunin and Lucas. In fact, against Girona, a significant match since it was the Primera leader, Dani Ceballos himself took the field before the genius from Zadar and Carletto decided not to exhaust the five substitutions despite the comfortable result (0-3). A priori, there is no physical problem and this amplifies the anomaly of the situation. Something is happening with Modric.

“I didn’t stay to stay, I want to play”

During the last break, on September 7, the 10th gave an interview in his country in which he left juicy statements. Optimism was extracted from the first: “I am completely calm, aware that I have to work as I have until now and that sooner or later I will have opportunities. I am aware that we have a lot of competition in midfield, that these young people are top-level players. “I remain firmly convinced that I can still play as Real Madrid needs me to.” From the second, a kind of notice and context to the reason for his renewal: “My only condition for staying was that they treated me as a competitive player, as I have been until now, and not that they kept me in the squad based on past merits. . Nobody is happy when they are out of the game. “I didn’t stay to stay, but because I want to play and enjoy football and Madrid.” On the next trip with Croatia there will be an even less rosy scenario.

Florida skyline

And around this new ecosystem in the life of Luka Modric, Inter Miami comes into play. Pedja Mijatovic, with a special bond with the Croatian, who revealed his interest in the SER microphones: “He has received offers from the United States, from many teams and from this one (Inter Miami) in particular. He already had the one in Saudi Arabia, but he wanted to stay in Madrid.” And the hero of the Séptima went further: “Messi himself has personally been interested in the possibility. In Croatia a few days ago Modric met Beckham, where they were eating.” When he took to the pitch, Modric showed that he can still play as Real Madrid needs, paraphrasing himself, but the strength of the Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde and Bellingham is increasing. Meanwhile, from Miami they are keeping an eye on him. Arabia and his millions could not seduce Luka, loyal to the white team, but now he also has the Florida team on his horizon and the framework has changed.

2023-10-01 04:17:27
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