Vlatko Vucetic is the secret in the shadow of Luka Modric. Your personal trainer from a distance. The madridista draws on the experience of this professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb and head of the Sports Diagnostic Center to squeeze his professional career in the elite to the limit. Vucetic already surprised with the possibility that the Croatian could play until the age of 40 in an interview in March for Diario AS. By the results, his methods work.
Now the kinesiologist has spoken to the media Morning about the good moment of the Real Madrid midfielder. “At the beginning of the game it was not brilliant because Chelsea entered the duel with force. But then he did a good 120 minutes. The key to success is that we keep Luka constantly, which is always between 85 and 100 percent, which can be seen in the fact that it can withstand not only 90, but also 120 minutes of high intensity. This form allows him to be one of the players with the fewest injuries. Before every training session and match, he does half an hour with an elastic band. Your muscles become more elastic, as if you have springs all over your body.And of course always do a recovery after the game.”
Distance is not a problem when working with Modric, with whom he has been collaborating for six years. “On Wednesday morning I sent him a plan, as I send it to him every day, recommendations for recovery: about twenty minutes of cardio training, cycling, swimming or brisk walking, aerobic work at 50-60 percent loading intensity,” he explains.
“Luka stays in constant form, he is always between 85 and 100 percent”
Modric was not replaced by Ancelotti and at 36 years old he was seen as one of the freshest on the pitch at the Bernabéu during extra time. “Against Chelsea his running economy remained the same throughout the game. He kept running on the ball of his foot and that the center of gravity of his body was in the correct position. And as long as you’re reactive on that forefoot, the risk of injury is much lower. When the players begin to change their movement technique, when the lactate concentration increases… that is noticeable, among other things, by the position of the feet, the body… and what was seen in some players on Tuesday, that they start loading the muscles at a completely different angle, then the risk of injury grows rapidly, “ analyzes Vucetic about the risk of playing overtime.
One of the successes for the footballer to prolong his career is to take post-match recovery very seriously, although you don’t always have to close the doors to take a break. “He fell asleep after the game probably well after 3am which is relatively early given the late end of the game. No way out is fatal. You need to oxygenate yourself, get rid of the negative things in the body. Drinking a beer or two after a game can be a good thing, because a low percentage of alcohol relaxes you, and beer also has several positive ingredients. After that, you need to get some sleep, do a light workout to start metabolic regeneration, to begin to oxygenate the blood and eliminate all the negative metabolites, which are much more numerous than usual after the match with Chelsea”.
Vucetic attaches great importance to the Croatian’s success to his wife Vanja Modric: “He leads an orderly life and has a well-organized family behind him. His wife Vanja Modrić also has a particularly important role to play. When she returns home, she arrives at her oasis of peace where her body can completely relax.. It is tremendously important that a player at home has stability and tranquility so that he can recover, rest. Y Vanja se lo da a Luka. She has subordinated her life to him, and we are talking here about a woman with a degree in economics, giving her peace of mind in her home where she can truly enjoy herself and the children, without having to run away from home. Players who don’t have so much stability at home, have a big mental load, which also tires the body, and that’s why I especially highlight the role of Vanja Modrić.”. It is not the only fundamental thing that an elite player has to take care of: “It is very important that the cook lives with Modric, because nutrition is a terribly important part of the career of an elite athlete. You have to listen to your body and have a person who can recognize it. In addition, alcohol, unlike some players, is consumed in truly minimal quantities, so the man is extremely responsible in this regard. As in our collaboration. He regularly tells me what he has done, even when, albeit very rarely, he says ‘I couldn’t do anything today’… Complete honesty is important in our relationship.”
“Drinking one or two beers after a game can be a positive thing”
The prepared Croatian ends his talk with Morning being optimistic about Modric’s short-medium term future: “We have been collaborating for six years, which is a lot and shows how willing he is to work. Modric can play like this for another two or three years, of course it is crucial how he decides in his head. As long as you are willing to sacrifice your private life and undergo the training, you will be able to withstand such efforts. It is not, of course, easy, it is a great sacrifice, it is not easy to be an elite athlete and last so long, train so hard every day.“.