Real Madrid and Luka Modric have an agreement for the midfielder to extend his contract with the white club for one more season, until June 2022. Despite the 35 years of the Zadar, the club understands that his current performance justifies this extension of his relationship, with which Modric will be able to reach a decade as a Madrid player, after landing in the capital of Spain in August 2012, from Tottenham, in exchange for 35 million euros.
The agreement at the moment is only verbal, the signature is missing, but the conditions have already been agreed and there will be no problem for it to be black on white. Modric has also accepted the salary cut that the club intends on the staff to adjust the salary mass to the hard times that the world of football is experiencing, which especially affect the coffers of Real Madrid. That and other reasons have been those that Madrid has valued to reach the conclusion that Modric deserves to continue in white, at Di Stéfano or at the Bernabéu.
Ambition and patience
A fundamental issue has been Modric's attitude on the renovation issue. While other veteran players want to renew for two years, which goes against the club's policy when it comes to footballers over the age of 30, Modric has had no problem renewing year after year and, in fact, is able to continue in this dynamic for three more seasons, earning in the field the renewal for another course as it has happened in this case. Age is not a problem, Modric feels at his best level and Madrid agrees with that diagnosis.
Playing like a kid
The main reason for Real Madrid's suspicion when it came to renewing Modric was his age: he is 35 years old and he will start next season with almost 36 (he meets them in September). However, his performance on the field this year is not that of a veteran who runs out of football, but rather that of a footballer in full condition. Last year Zidane dosed him a lot, with just 2,600 minutes for him; This started that way too, but reality has led Marseille to put that rotation aside: he has played 1,410 minutes, 75% of the total.
Modric, during Real Madrid-Eibar.
AMAIA ZABALO
In fact, he has only stopped participating in one match, the last day of the League against Granada. He left the previous game with a muscular overload and preferred not to risk, cutting a streak of eight League games in a row in the starting eleven and ten games between all competitions. Far from noticing fatigue, Modric gave his best level in that streak, coinciding with Madrid's best moment in the course: brilliant against Borussia and Atlético, decisive with a goal against Eibar.
Part of Modric's secret has been in his work beyond Valdebebas, with Vlatko Vucetic, a professor at the Zagreb Faculty of Kinesiology. He began to collaborate with him five years ago, with a view to the World Cup in Russia, to carry out the ideal physical preparation; The result was visible, Modric was named best player of that World Cup, of which he was runner-up with Croatia, and then he would win the Ballon d'Or. Hand in hand with Vucetic, Modric lives a second youth and Real Madrid wants to continue enjoying it.
Respectful and committed
Modric's relationship with the club's leadership is perfect, and this is because the Croatian's attitude, even when he has played less than he expected (like last season), is exemplary. There was a small outbreak of tension in the summer of 2018, when Inter Milan made the player dizzy with an offer, but demanding that it be free. It was not grown up and since then, Modric's attitude has been impeccable whenever he has been asked about his renewal: “I am focused on playing, then I will sit down with the board and we will look for the best solution for everyone. Whatever happens, there will be no problem, “he said recently.
Their commitment also benefits the viability of Real Madrid in times of economic difficulty, with the pandemic avoiding the entrance of fans to the stadiums, which has cut the white club's income by 25% (about 200 million per year). Modric has agreed to be part of the salary cut (right now it is above 10 million net per season) to remain in white, a gesture that Madrid appreciates, now that every euro counts.
Odegaard's mentor
In addition, within Real Madrid's plan it is that Modric serves as an example and as a mentor for Martin Odegaard, a footballer with a similar profile who has returned to the white club this year after several assignments to simmer. For now, physical problems have not let him shine, but at Madrid they maintain the faith that Odegaard will be an important player in the white team of the next decade and that he can and should learn a lot from Modric while they share a dressing room. It is his natural replacement and both will have another season for the Norwegian to continue assimilating knowledge.
Heavyweight for Zidane
Zidane has blessed this renewal of one of the heavyweights in his dressing room, one of the players who have played with him as start the three Champions League finals won against Atlético, Juventus and Liverpool. Despite the fact that in the last two seasons he has been rotating to preserve his physique, Zidane has never lost confidence in the Croatian, something that is reciprocal.
“When Zidane speaks, we listen. He will do it well for sure,” said the Balkan when the Marseille coach He took over Madrid in January 2016. Modric was absolutely right, who has been fundamental in practically all the titles we have lifted for Madrid since then and previously, under the command of Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian found him that position as a right midfielder in a medullary line of three from which he took off. A flight that will arrive, at least, until June 30, 2022.