Luka Modric is in Croatia enjoying a few days of vacation after conquering the League with Real Madrid. The Croatian is charging batteries in his country ahead of the second round of the Champions League against City. There he gave an extensive interview to the Sportske Novosti newspaper.
He won Liga 34 for Madrid. How does it feel
Excellent! I am full of happiness and satisfaction for my second league title. I have already won 16 trophies in Madrid, four Champions Leagues, but this title made me especially happy.
Perhaps because it is the second in eight years in Madrid?
That is probably the reason. We definitely should have had more national titles because we played some championships in an awkward way. But hey, whatever has happened, one must enjoy the present and can influence what follows.
This has been a very strange season due to the pandemic. What is the impression generated?
We had the continuity of a good game throughout the year, and we especially did an excellent job making that final rush after a long break. A series of ten consecutive victories, together with a draw, speaks best for this Madrid. We also won the Spanish Super Cup in January and we are still in the race for the Champions League.
Were you surprised by Madrid's dominance after months of break?
Honestly, no. While we were confined, we all trained. I was in contact with teammates and noticed that they were all working with some extra motivation. I also suppose because this unexpected and completely new situation happened to us with the pandemic. We wanted soccer. When we finally returned to training together, I felt an even stronger connection between the players, enjoying being together again and in full swing. It was obvious that all of this would be fine.
But he didn't think about winning ten games in a row …
I have to admit that I did not do it because we know very well what LaLiga is like, it is strong and very complicated to make such a streak. But in completely different conditions of the competition, without an audience and in our smallest stadium, we did very well. We act very compact, solid, focused on defense and play very good competitive football.
You are “brother” of Sergio Ramos. What to say about him? He has scored up to 100 goals in 695 games …
Exactly what to say? My brother Sergio is a phenomenon! And I'm not saying that because in eight years we have created a really special relationship, we spend time with families, we go on vacation together, or because we have had fantastic experiences in football and successes together. Ramos is a 34-year-old rock with a high competitive level, and when you see him it is clear how dedicated he is and how eager he is for success. Team leader and the best defender in the world. His career says it all about what kind of player he is.
“Ramos is a 34 year old rock. He is the leader and the best defender in the world”
Modric
Who particularly impressed you this season
I wouldn't highlight anyone because I think this Real's greatest strength was the group! Everyone contributed to the title in their own way, including all the new players that came, these youngsters like Vinicius, Rodrygo …
There were expectations with Hazard, but the injuries reduced him …
Eden is a great player! I loved seeing him in Chelsea. Really, since he came, he has had no luck with his health. It was obvious how eager he was to play and show what he could do, and he could do many extraordinary things. I went through those stages of high expectations and the adaptation process, so I told him I just had to be patient. The quality is too great, we really need your knowledge, but it is crucial that you are fit. If you are ready for City, great, and if not, the most important thing is that at the beginning of the new season in September it is completely healed.
For the first time Benzema received the figure treatment.
I'm happy for Karim, now everyone has finally realized what the players have known for a long time. Benzema is a great striker who is a pleasure to play with. His understanding of the game, the movement, the alteration of the balance of the rival defense is something special. Benzema has always done a great job for the team and I am glad that he has now experienced a standing ovation and great satisfaction at the recognition of his class.
Perhaps the reason for that is that he came out of the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo.
There is no need to discuss how important Cristiano was for Madrid, but I must say that we are not overwhelmed by the fact that he is not there in the sense that we cannot have the same ambitions. We were convinced that we would continue to win without him because, regardless of the strength of the individual, the team is always above everything and the strength is stronger.
Valverde, Vinicius, Rodrygo … Youth is stomping.
Exactly. A new wave of enthusiasm, freshness, physical strength and passion, brought by such good young players, revitalized the group itself. The club and the coach acted wisely on that. This also motivated and empowered the older and more experienced to pick up the pace. The result is visible.
Do you agree that the key man in the new step forward is Zidane?
Definitely! Zidane has confirmed his class, and not only football, which is fantastic. Zidane once again proved to be a superior person. In a recognizable way he created a great atmosphere within and around the team. It gives peace of mind, it is very correct in its approach to the player. There are always those who do not play as much as they would like, they are not happy and that makes sense. But the coach's approach has helped everyone feel part of the team and accept their current state. Another thing is important here. In the locker room, they are all good guys, there is no one who creates problems for their own reasons, there are no so-called “bad apples”. I think it is a very important factor of compactness that we have.
“We were convinced that we would continue to win without Cristiano”
Modric
What is the difference between the first and the second Zidane?
At first glance it is the same charismatic personality and a coach who understands the players. I have said it many times, but I will repeat it: it is clear that Zidane was a player and a very big player, and that he knows very well what to say and when to say, how to approach the players. It does not matter if we are talking about the development of the team, the tactical approach or the decisions that must be made … There were also phases of crisis, but he knew how to react in time and change the rhythm of the situation. These are the characteristics of strong people. In this second phase, Zidane seems even better to me in everything he has done well before. He brought something new in terms of training and tactics, we have more automation, we have taken a step forward in what used to be a problem for us, that that is defensive play. All this was seen very well in these 11 games after the break.
Despite all this, there are those who continue to criticize him.
I've seen and heard everything about soccer, so I shouldn't be surprised by such superficial stories. When someone confirms himself as a title coach, then it's fun for me that someone may doubt someone's experience. Zidane is one of the best coaches in the history of Madrid, and he has terrible competition. And in my opinion, today he is one of the best coaches in the world.
In both the first and this era, were you in a bad mood because of some of your decisions regarding your minutes?
Those who know me a long time ago realized that I would always like to play, in training, in the game, from start to finish. And that, of course, is not realistic. Zidane always had the approach that players should be rotated and their performances dosed. As a general rule, when competitions start, Madrid plays every three days, so it is necessary to dose the force. Sometimes I didn't like it, but it turned out I was right.
Last fall, after a couple of injuries with the national team, other players, like Valverde, took advantage of his absence and prevailed. When Zidane did not include him in games like Atlético, PSG and the first El Clásico it seemed the beginning of the end of his untouchability at Real …
First of all, this season started badly in the first match in Vigo. There, in the 56th minute, I received the first red card of my career for literally nothing. What kind of expulsion is that when you accidentally step on an opponent behind you … I missed a game and in Villarreal I started from the bench. Then with the national team, against Azerbaijan, I was injured. I was not in three games and Zidane did not put me against Atlético, then against Granada …
But in the 34th minute due to an injury Kroos came in and scored one of the most spectacular goals of his career.
Yes, I really needed that feeling when I hit and almost scratched the net. It was as if a phase of frustration had ended. Unfortunately in the second match with Croatia in Wales I was injured again.
In the Classic postponed to December he started again on the bench …
That is what the coach decided and it was his right. Look, I've had a great relationship with Zidane since the first day I met him and when he was Ancelotti's assistant. We built on it when he arrived for the head coach in 2016 and he helped me a lot in my important advancements in the game and confidence. Zidane told me in one of the first private conversations that I have to believe in myself, that I have special virtues and that I am worthy of the Ballon d'Or. It meant a lot to me because it was the first time and I thought it was really worth getting into the same phrase with that levels of players.
Zidane was right because he won the Ballon d'Or two years later. But during the winter it seemed that you were not well. And neither does his relationship with the coach. This is what the media said …
Injuries and a cut competitive rhythm helped create that atmosphere in the media. But in reality, things were different. First, there is the relationship with the coach. Zidane and I talk often, both when everything was fine and when it wasn't. I especially appreciate that he can be spoken to openly, that he tells you his opinion honestly, but he hopes that you will also speak your own. Then I told him what was worrying me. It is not a problem if I do not see myself in the foreground, but I wanted to know if that state was cyclical or longer term. I trained well, and what I played, without false modesty, was good. He was not recognized in the media, but he knew it was so. I wanted to know if the coach sees it that way or not, if something has changed, because in the end the most important thing is what the boss thinks.
What did he say?
Zidane told me that he was very satisfied with my work, my approach and that it should continue like this. He had no doubts about my abilities, he just honestly told me that at that time he had a different vision of what was best for the team. I accepted that attitude and rolled up my sleeves. I was still full of motivation and desire to impose myself.
Modric on his substitution: “Zidane honestly told me that at that time he had a different vision of what was best for the team. And I rolled up my sleeves”
Later, everything was put in its place …
Well, it wasn't me who doubted it, it was others. My start to the season was not controversial because I am 34 years old, but because I had two injuries and an undeserved red. It was what interrupted my rhythm, as it would any player even if he was 24 years old. In the Super Cup I only confirmed that when I am fit and continuous, I can still keep up with the levels of challenges that Madrid has.
But in the media it was said that he was not at his level.
First of all, I can say that I understand how the media works. Since I arrived in Madrid, I have received various treatments, from doubts that it could be a failure, to great recognition and support. I have always accepted this as part of life in a club as big as Real, where expectations are continually high and pressure is constantly high. You're always in the balance and that's the way it is. You must be prepared for it, focus on work and be the best you can be when you play. But, this season I felt that there was no correct treatment for me …
He has said many times that he would like to finish your career at Madrid …
And who does not? But it remains to be seen if the club will want it. Madrid is my home, but Madrid decides what is best for the club. I know that midfielders rarely stay here until they are 35 years old. If Madrid considers that I am no longer the right one, I am ready for that option. Nothing would change my emotion towards the club. However, I hope to break that “norm”. I tried hard to get to Real, I went through everything and I'm not going to give up lightly. I will fight in the field to deserve to continue.
You still have less than a year of contract. What does that mean?
The only sure thing is that I will play for Madrid until June 2021.
And so?
At my age, I don't think about 'then' much (laughs). We'll see. Let's go step by step. I know very well that I am not at the beginning of my career. But convincingly I feel like I have a few more years of football on my legs. And I am 100% sure that I still want to play, that I have the same reasons to train, fight, sacrifices to win titles.
Sergio Ramos is 34 years old and is not so in doubt. Maybe it's more difficult for midfielders?
Look, the key is what a man shows on the field, not how old he is, what he says or what he once did. I do not want to be privileged or protected in criticism for some past merit, but I think it is fair and I deserve to be judged based on what I show in the field, not only in the context of the prejudices of my age. After all, I am the greatest critic of myself. The moment I judge that I can no longer keep up, that I am not effective, I will be the first to admit it and withdraw.
There was an impression that perhaps some of the media, which are closer to the sources at Real, were broadcasting echoes from the club about possible non-continuity. Didn't you speak to those responsible about it?
I did not, because I did not feel any change in the club's behavior towards me. I have had an excellent relationship with Madrid, that is, President Florentino Pérez and José Ángel Sánchez from the beginning. Over time, a strong mutual trust has been installed. Madrid is always the maximum for me, just as I always gave the maximum for the club. They know me well and they know that everything can be said to me, openly. Well, I never felt that they questioned me and that I should clarify anything.
Haven't you talked to the club of the future then?
I have not spoken yet and there is no rush. When the time comes for that, I think we will meet and clarify our plans to know what we will do. I think that would be normal and I am sure it will happen. Without stress. Now the most important thing is only the focus on Madrid and then the Euro Cup.