Luka Modric says goodbye to Real Madrid: An eternal legend

Goodbye Modric

After 13 seasons, legend Luka Modric will play his last match at the Bernabeu (against Sociedad) this Saturday (9:15 p.m. on May 24).

“The moment I never wanted to come has finally come, but that's football. In life everything has a beginning and an end,” Luka Modric wrote in his farewell letter to Real Madrid.

Modric at the 2022 Champions League title celebration at the Bernabeu. Photo: EFE

After the farewell, Modric attended the FIFA Club World Cup in the US and ended his journey with Real Madrid.

Modric once said “don’t look at the age on paper” every time he extended his career, through a yearly contract. Finally, the exciting adventure will end, after he is the one who receives the most applause from the Bernabeu crowd.

“Lukita” leaves the Bernabeu and takes with him the most famous outside-foot shot in modern football – the trivela. He is the last link in the greatest midfield in modern history of Real Madrid to say goodbye, after Casemiro (2022) and Toni Kroos (2024).

The “Bermuda Triangle”, as Carlo Ancelotti calls it, is over. Modric, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, is the most persistent in refusing to leave the game.

In the last two seasons, he lost his starting position. At first, Modric was not happy, but then accepted it.

The lack of personnel in Real Madrid's midfield this season has given him more playing time than last season. His natural ball control ability and good physical condition have helped him avoid the storm of injuries.

However, the club's intention to close the Modric cycle eventually prevailed, to open up new football with Xabi Alonso.

The golden era of the "Bermuda Triangle" has ended. Photo: EFE

“An unforgettable period,” Real Madrid wrote in its statement.

Now, the new era really begins in Los Blancos' midfield, completely in the hands of young players (Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde, Bellingham and Arda Guler), and waiting for more new recruits.

The transition that Ancelotti described with the phrase “the patience of the young and the understanding of the old” is complete, after a difficult season.

Modric, 590 appearances and 43 goals, will leave the Bernabeu on the same day as Ancelotti. He leaves as the club’s oldest ever player, surpassing Ferenc Puskas – a record he set in October.

“I have experienced great moments,” Modric shared, “impossible comebacks, finals, celebrations and magical nights at the Bernabeu.”

He left the Bernabeu a huge legacy: “I leave with a full heart. Full of pride. Pride, gratitude and unforgettable memories.”

Modric is a legacy and an icon. Photo: Diario AS

Old Trafford, the beginning of it all

Modric's move to the Bernabeu for 35 million euros was a difficult negotiation, a deal "pryed" out of the hands of Daniel Levy, Tottenham's chairman, one of the most famous tough guys.

The transfer was finally completed in late August 2012. Modric made his debut in the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona.

The first order he received from Jose Mourinho was to work with Xabi Alonso to lock down Lionel Messi, who often moved from the right wing into the middle.

“When Messi has the ball on the right wing, he always cuts inside. Alonso and you have to block that way. When you attack, take the ball and distribute it!” , Mourinho instructed, as revealed in Modric’s autobiography.

The start was not smooth, Modric was on the bench for the first half of the season. The turning point happened at Old Trafford, in the second leg of the 1/8 round of the 2012/13 Champions League.

The goal at Old Trafford in 2013 changed Modric's career and Real Madrid's. Photo: Panoramic

After the 1-1 draw in the first leg, Modric was on the bench, not even the first choice for substitution when Di Maria was injured, but Kaka.

After nearly 60 minutes, when MU led 1-0 but had only 10 men (Nani was sent off), Modric entered the field. His curved shot from outside the box changed the whole night, and officially opened his journey in Madrid.

It may not have been his best goal, but it was certainly his most important.

The most important assist in Real Madrid's last three decades also belonged to him: the pass to Sergio Ramos in the 2014 Champions League final in Lisbon, where the team was crowned champions for the 10th time.

In 13 seasons, Modric shared a record 6 Champions League titles , among 28 trophies. “I came here with the ambition to do something big, but I could never have imagined what happened after that” . Simply put, he is a symbol of eternity.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/luka-modric-chia-tay-real-madrid-huyen-thoai-bat-tu-2403994.html