Modric appeared in the prey wheel in Kiev in the previous one of Shakhtar-Real Madrid. He faces the team of his great friend Darijo Srna, for so many years his captain in the national team and now, after his number 33 was retired (he is the foreigner of the miners with the most matches), sports director of Shakthar. The often Croatian player was forceful with FIFA (I don’t like a World Cup every two years) and defended what he did for the trivot that he forms with Casemiro and Kroos.
-How do you face the return to competition?
-We know that it is a very important game. Especially for the last game we lost at home. We don’t have much more room to be wrong. We have to enter with confidence, with strength, giving everything, playing well … In the last three games we have not been at our best level, but after the break we have trained well and are prepared.
-What you, Casemiro and Kroos did is comparable to what Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta did?
-To be honest, I don’t like comparisons. They have done a lot for their club and their national team. We have also done a lot for Madrid. I prefer that others have an opinion. I don’t like to compare.
– Should Benzema win the Ballon d’Or?
-Let’s see … There are several candidates who can win. For me, Karim is one of them. I hope he wins it because he deserves it because of how he has played this year and his career. Especially in recent years. It has always been at a top level. And he has finally won a title with France, which is important for these awards. Hopefully I won it because it deserves it.
-Does a World Cup look good every two years?
– I do not see sense to the World-wide one every two years. It is special because it is every four and because everyone expects it. I would not like to see it every other, but we are not asked much. They are trying to do things without asking the players and coaches. I don’t see it, but I don’t know what will happen …
-Is there a desire for revenge with Shakhtar?
-You want to play a good game and win, because it is important for us. Shakhtar are a very strong team as they showed last year. A difficult game awaits us, but I hope with a different ending than the last two times.
-Does it bother you that Madrid’s midfield is criticized?
-The criticism when you play in Madrid you have to accept it and get used to it. When you win, everything is wonderful and when the last games happen there are doubts. We don’t care much, we trust ourselves. We are confident that we will play again as we have always done and as we did at the beginning of the season. We have to be calm and work, because we still have room to improve.