Modric: “I could have signed in December, but I wanted to listen to my body”
At 40 years old, Luka Modric has joined the preseason of Milan after announcing just two weeks ago his continuity in the ranks of the Rossonero team and today he returned to play in the friendly against Inter in Perth (1-1). In the first interview he has given since then, the Croatian midfielder reveals the ins and outs of a decision that was long overdue.
““I always had in mind that I wanted to stay one more year,” recognizes La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I could have signed the contract in December, but I didn’t because I wanted to listen to my body: I needed to understand how I felt, if I still had the same anger, the same desire and the same passion to continue playing. That was the most important thing, and in the end the answers were what I expected: I’m still fine, I have passion and everything I need to move forward. When I saw that the board still wanted me here, I didn’t have many doubts. Because what Milan showed me last year, during the World Cup and after, is everything a footballer wants: confidence and darling.”
The KO in the World Cup is not the reason
Modric denies that the disappointment of being eliminated with the Croatian team in the 1/16 final of the 2026 World Cup against Portugal (2-1) has encouraged him to continue a second year at Milan after ending his glorious time at Real Madrid and, as was rumored, not to retire.
“No, I’m here first and foremost because I had a great time. The club and the fans showed me a lot of love, they supported me in everything, and that was the main reason why I decided to stay. The club also showed that they really loved me, and that was wonderful,” Modric argues.
“I still feel the same passion, the same desire as always, and I intend to continue enjoying football,” he insists. “This is the best place for me, and I hope I can give Milan what I gave them last year and have a better season as a team. Or rather, a better finish. The only way to achieve this is to learn from the mistakes we made: until the defeat against Lazio, we were there, fighting for the championship, then, when we realized that it would be difficult to win the title, maybe we relaxed a little and trusted ourselves thinking that we were already in the Champions League. We made a mistake.”
Gonçalo Ramos, from Croatian executioner to companion
Milan finished Serie A in fifth place and will have to settle for playing in the Europa League. Looking ahead to this season it has been reinforced with Gonçalo Ramos, for whom he has paid 70 million euros to PSG. The Portuguese, by the way, was Croatia’s executioner in the World Cup by scoring the decisive goal in the 94th minute of a controversial added-on.
“I have followed him a lot and he is a great striker. Maybe he is just what we needed and what we were missing before. I hope he continues to achieve success like the ones he has achieved in every club he has played for,” says Modric of the Portuguese. “I recently had a bad experience with him,” remember about the World Cup elimination. “Have I told you anything about that goal? No, I already told you in the United States (laughs). I don’t want to bring it up again because it’s not a good memory. From what I have been able to observe these days, he is also a great person and I hope he brings a lot of joy to Milan.”
The one who still hasn’t decided on his future is the Portuguese winger. Rafael Leaowho expressed his desire to change his scene but remains at Milan as no offers have arrived that convince both parties. “In my opinion, if he stayed, it would be fantastic for us because when he is at his best, he is one of the best in the world,” Modric wishes. “I hope he recovers, that he finds his football again and that he helps us have a great year because, I repeat, he is a great player. I would love for him to stay, but we will see what happens. As I said, he and the club will decide what is best, but as a player, of course, I want Rafa on my team.”
