LUKA LUKA MODRIC MODRIC CHAAAAA AAAAAAA

AMPIOWords Ivan Tomic Photography Pablo Garcia nS

From playing under Zidane and inspiring Harry Winks to winning it all at Real Madrid, Luka Modric is uncharacteristically talkative as we pop round for a cuppa while nosing around his massive trophy room LUKA LUKA MODRIC MODRIC

t’s not every day you get to have my best final in Cardiff. My performance was the a nose around the trophy room result of our level of tactical preparation for that one game, and when I think back to the final, the “THE DRIVE TO RETAIn THE of a Champions League winner – especially when that player is overwhelming feeling I have is pride. I’d worked known for keeping a low profile. my whole life for that moment, so to become the Luka Modric’s genius has been first team ever to successfully defend the title of CHAMPIOnS LEAGUE TITLE renowned for several years, but European champions in the Champions League 2017 felt like the year in which format is something special. the playmaker finally cemented WAS UnBELIEVABLE – WE his status among the elite class Was that the perfect night for you – the sort of of modern footballers. performance you have been working towards His trademark scheming in the your whole life? WERE ALL PREPARED TO heart of the Real Madrid midfield Like every other child who has grown up kicking not only helped Los Blancos win a football, I had always dreamed about winning a 12th European Cup, but halted the Champions League. Now I can say that I not DIE FOR EACH OTHER” a lengthy – by their standards – only won it but also that I was a key protagonist five-year wait for a La Liga title. on a truly great night. The whole thing is a dream He is also now captain of the Croatia national come to life – maybe even better. team (“I can’t describe the emotion this honour arouses in me, not even in a million words”) and As you already mentioned, no team had ever will head to Russia hoping to inspire his side to retained the Champions League. Was making something like the Vatreni’s famous France 98 history a big motivation for the team? exploits, rather than the wretched group-stage Definitely. The determination inside that dressing exit four years ago. room to make history was unbelievable. We were First, there’s the small matter of retaining that all so motivated to do it and we were prepared to Champions League crown. His trophy room may die for each other. That is natural. If you were to need an extension... speak to most of the players in any great team of the past, they would tell you that they felt the It’s safe to say 2017 was a good year for you. same way about their mission. We were always How would you sum it up? really happy and excited whenever the Tuesday It was the best year of my career so far. First of or Wednesday of a European game came round. all, if you look at it from the perspective of Real We couldn’t wait for those matches – even if we Madrid, last year was the most successful in the had just had a bad weekend in La Liga and not club’s history. We won both the league title and picked up three points, we always knew that we Champions League in the same year for the first could fix that in the Champions League. time since the 1950s, then also the Supercopa, One of the main reasons we were able to retain UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. Then, on the trophy was that Real Madrid have always had a personal level, I’ve been fortunate enough to a winning mentality by default. That attitude was pick up some individual awards, including being key and helped us in some very tough moments, selected in the Champions League Team of the such as extra time against Bayern Munich in the Year and La Liga Team of the Year. If you add in quarter-final. We always picture ourselves as the the fact that Croatia qualified for the World Cup winners at the end of every game. The club sets in Russia, I think it’s fairly safe to say 2017 was itself the biggest possible goals at the beginning a perfect year for me. The previous few seasons were also successful, Above Luka looks back of each season and, to be honest, I think we did it the Real Madrid way. but I believe I produced my best ever football during 2017. Thankfully, with FFT on a glorious We’re not called Real Madrid without reason and I think we, as a team, that was crowned with those trophies for the team – that’s the most year: “It’s fairly safe to have managed to justify that adjective. important thing, after all. say 2017 was perfect – I produced the best You moved to Spain in 2012, but last season was the first time you You were also voted Champions League Midfielder of the Year and football of my career” won La Liga. That must have been a big relief? ranked fifth in the Ballon d’Or standings. What do those individual Yes it was, because that was the only trophy I hadn’t been able to get awards mean to you? my hands on during my Real Madrid career. So I was as motivated as They mean a lot, of course. It’s difficult to put into words how much it it is possible to be. It is very, very tough to win La Liga when you’re up means when you get rewarded for your hard work and dedication in against clubs like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but that adds special each game and training session. It reflects the consistency of my good value to this trophy. I consider La Liga the hardest national league in form. I feel consistency is the highest achievement a player can reach. the world to win. Hopefully it won’t be the last time I win it. I want and Also, I have to mention my team-mates and the whole club – I know expect to win it again in the future. this will sound very familiar, but behind every individual award stands good teamwork. I couldn’t have achieved any of this without all of my Was there one moment during the La Liga run-in that you thought, team-mates and Real provide you with the best team-mates possible. ‘Finally, this is going to be the year’? I wouldn’t say that any one match stood out in the second half of the You played particularly well in the Champions League final against season, because literally every game was like a cup final for us. Barça Juventus. What are your memories of it? were always very close behind us in the league table, so we knew we I think that final was the best performance by our team in any of the couldn’t afford any slip-ups. The Clasico at the Bernabeu in April was three Champions League finals I’ve played in, but yes, I personally had fantastic for fans of good football. It was a real exhibition of quality,

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entertaining football – it was just unfortunate for us that Barça won it in the last minute. We knew that a draw would have been a very good “THE HARDEST PART IS BEInG THE result for us, given our advantage in the table, but we wanted to win that match more than any other. We had to play the last 15 minutes without Sergio Ramos after his sending-off, but still managed to score an equaliser through James Rodriguez. At that moment we were going BEST YEAR AFTER YEAR. AT REAL to get a draw with 10 men on the field. Then Barcelona won a throw-in and we played very high up the pitch because we wanted to win, even with 10 players. The rest is history. That goal from Lionel Messi in the THE EXPECTATIOnS ARE SO HIGH – final seconds was a real heartbreaker for us, but we didn’t let that loss destroy our spirit. Actually, it was the exact opposite – Barcelona went a point ahead of us that day, but we became even stronger and won BUT WE BELIEVE In OUR QUALITY” La Liga at the end of the season.

How are you able to maintain such a high level of performance for This time around, Real finished second in their Champions League might not. I’m always willing to listen to his advice, and our working club and country, year after year? group and are a long way behind Barcelona in La Liga. The season relationship is really strong. He’s also got enough experience to know Consistency is the most important thing in modern football. Without has not exactly gone to plan, has it…? when to let players go and play with freedom – an approach that has that, it’s very hard to succeed. I have been blessed with a career that No, we expected better results, but that’s football. Last season some helped us a lot and brought much success. has gradually and steadily got better and better since my early days. things went our way – for example we won a few games during added The hardest part isn’t reaching the top level, but to continue being the time. This season, we have played quite well but haven’t always been What’s it like playing with Cristiano Ronaldo? best year after year. It’s even harder if you play for Real Madrid. Here, clinical enough. I have no doubt this is a short-term ‘crisis’ and that we Cristiano is first of all a fantastic person andsomeone who is always Above Modric proved a key the expectations are so high every single season and you can’t afford can achieve our goals between now and the end of the campaign. Our ready to help you. His work ethic is unrivalled. He invests a lot of time protagonist in one of Real any slip-ups or failures. aim is to defend every title we won last year. I won’t say it will be easy, on the training pitch to make sure his form and physical fitness stays Madrid’s greatest seasons, but I’ll always believe in our quality. at the highest level. His success is by no means down to luck – it’s no capped by a star showing You’re well known for never giving the ball away – how would you accident, but instead a product of his hard work and talent. Of course, in the Champions League describe your own role in the Madrid team? Think back to the moment when Sergio Ramos headed home that having him on your team is an incredible feeling. He is a player of the final against Juventus (far I feel like an important part of the Madrid game plan. I see my role as last-gasp leveller from your corner in the 2014 Champions League highest class and it’s a real pleasure to play with him. He makes us all right) Below “Everyone say distributing the ball from defence to attack. This is a role that suits me Final against Atletico. What were your emotions? better players and is always in the right place at the right time to make Duodecima!” Selfie scenes perfectly and I very much enjoy playing in such a position for Even today I get goosebumps when I think about that although, to be the right move to win us matches. as Ramos, Modric and Bale the team. But, again, I have to say that it’s my team-mates honest, I was really calm at the time. When I approached to take that celebrate capturing a 12th who make my job out on the field so much easier and very corner, I felt like it was still the 10th minute of the game. I didn’t feel How do you look back on your Tottenham career? European Cup for the club enjoyable. I just hope that my quality of performance will pressure. Thank God, Sergio jumped tremendously and scored a real My emotions when I think about the time I spent at Spurs are always Below right The schemer be able to continue for a few more years. I feel really good at cracker. The rest is history. We scored three more goals in extra time really positive. Tottenham is the club that first gave me my opportunity will skipper Croatia at the the moment and am ready to carry on being an important part and, after a long wait, finally achieved La Decima. The sense of relief to play in one of the strongest leagues in the world. I had a fantastic 2018 World Cup in Russia of Real Madrid’s modern history. was incredible – after all those years and failed attempts, we had won relationship with the people at the club, and also the fans. The whole that magical trophy for a 10th time. atmosphere in and around the club at that time was brilliant, and our results were mostly very good. We played in the quarter-finals of the How much have you enjoyed playing for Zinedine Zidane? Is there Champions League, against Real Madrid, and in a League Cup final too. something specific that has helped you to play your best football? My one regret is that I didn’t win a trophy with Tottenham, despite us Playing for a legend like Zinedine Zidane is a huge honour because he being a strong team who played good, attractive football. I’m sorry for is one of the greatest players of all time. We were so excited when he the way I left Tottenham. I wish we had parted in a nicer way. I hope was announced as the head coach, and his presence has always been the fans understand that I followed my football dreams. the Premier League is high. For all five English teams to make it to the a huge motivation to give our best on the pitch. Of course, he has also knockout stage of the Champions League, with four of them winning helped my game on a technical level – he was a midfielder himself, so Do you still follow Spurs’ results? their group, really is a great achievement. All of the English teams will he recognises things a midfielder should be doing that other coaches When I have time, yes. I always enjoy watching Tottenham’s games. be a big threat in the knockout stages, that’s certain. I really like what the club has become over the last few seasons. They play the kind of enjoyable and attacking football that I like to see and You are now arguably Croatia’s most successful player ever – how I definitely think Spurs could win the Premier League title in the near proud does that make you? future. They’ve got some excellent players in their squad who are all I’m very proud to be the first Croatian to win three European titles, as capable of making that happen. anyone would be. Still, I’m not burdened by the fact who is the first or most successful, only by the fact that people compare me with Davor What did you make of Harry Winks’ displays against Real Madrid Suker and Zvonimir Boban, who were my football idols. in the Champions League earlier this season? He has spoken of how much he admired you when he was in Spurs’ academy... Croatia will face Argentina, Iceland and Nigeria in the group stage Harry is very talented and a quality footballer. He showed against Real of the 2018 World Cup. What did you make of the draw? Madrid how good he can become. I hope he will continue to evolve in It’s certainly going to be a very challenging and demanding group. the right way, and if that happens I believe he’s got a very successful There’s not a lot that needs to be said about Argentina – I think career in front of him. I’m pleased that he saw a good example in me. everyone is well aware of their strengths and how dangerous an I have always tried to be an example to the younger generations and opponent they can be. Iceland are a team we’ve become quite I’m extremely honoured that a player like Harry would pick me out as well acquainted with over the past few years. We played them some sort of football ‘idol’. in qualifying for both this World Cup and the previous one. It will be very difficult to play against them, but I believe we’ve What have you made of the English teams’ performances in this got enough strength to get through. season’s Champions League group stage? Was it a big surprise to Nigeria are perhaps more of an unknown to us than the other two, see all five go through? but they are a potent side with some good young players. We have to I wouldn’t say it was a huge surprise, no. We all know that the Premier show our quality and go into every game trying to win it. I think we’ve League is one of the best leagues in the world. In the last few seasons matured as players and believe we’ll justify the hype that’s previously they haven’t really achieved the sort of results they did in the past, but surrounded us. The first task is to make it out of that group, but then all around the world, everybody has always known that the quality in I feel we have the talent to deal with any team.

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