The Croatian doesn’t want to end with the injury and without playing the Champions League with Allegri. These days the whole club is close to him
Luka Modric wanted to end with a standing ovation and he got it, even if the applause sounded strange and the Maestro struggled to respond. Modric ended the first Rossoneri season after an aerial collision with Locatelli, in which Luka suffered the worst: a fracture of his left cheekbone. Seeing a former Ballon d’Or winner who, at forty, dueled with such ardor ten minutes into a AC Milan-Juventus game that was so lacking in emotion had, yes, warmed up the San Siro crowd: Modric, forced to go out, was showered with applause and accompanied outside by the chant made famous by Maradona: “You know why my corazon beats me, I saw Luka Modric”. He, with an uncertain step and visibly dazed, left the field covering his face. Despite the pain he followed the game until the end with a blue ice pack pressed to his already swollen cheekbone.
guarantees
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This is not how Modric wanted to leave San Siro and the AC Milan fans: but the injury that took him away from the squad for the last four championship matches may have ultimately extended his life as a Rossoneri player. It’s not just a matter of greetings, Luka was once again struck by the affection of the team and club (who visited him in the clinic, at La Madonnina). Two other pieces are falling into place in the right direction: Allegri’s stay on the bench and the achievement of the Champions League goal. With Max the feeling is exceptional, and not only because Modric dictated the game for much more than 2000 minutes, an event that hadn’t happened for five years: the 2788′ are now definitive. In 20-21 Luka played 2743 minutes in La Liga, “only” 2046 in the following season and then less and less. There is a mutual consideration that goes beyond the technical aspect. On the horizon we are starting to see the Champions League, which Luka would really like to play for the Rossoneri. There is little left to the certainty of qualification, this time without the Maestro, as they call Modric within the group, being able to drag the group along.
world
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So the contract extension is approaching: to renew the promises all that is needed is for Luka to say “Yes, I want it”. There are no agreements to be made: in fact, there is a clause that allows the club to extend by another season, with wages and related bonuses already defined last summer. A clause which, however, Milan will only activate with the champion’s permission: to dissolve any reservations they will probably have to wait until after the end of the World Cup, where Modric is now a regular: it will be his fifth participation in the World Championships after 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022, with a second place in the 2018 edition and a bronze medal four years later. It will be the moment in which Luka will test the real physical conditions and motivation needed for another Serie A championship, in addition to the probable hardships of the Champions League: at the moment, nothing seems to discourage him.
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The only temptation may be linked to Croatia, understood this time as a possibility of returning home: for almost twenty years, between England, Spain and Italy, Luka has not returned to the Hrvatska nogometna liga, the first Croatian championship. He left Dinamo Zagreb for Tottenham in 2008, before enjoying the best successes of his career in Madrid and joining Milan last summer. Dinamo Zagreb would be happy to welcome him back: the club today has a special president for Modric, a former Rossoneri compatriot to whom Luka owes his AC Milan faith. The admiration for Boban, now at the top of the club that handed over the scepter to Croatian champions Rijeka a year ago, made him approach Milan since he was a child and the respect of the former champion who would like him back home still exerts a certain charm. It is also true that today the desire to close the circle of his career in another way is stronger: Modric fell in love with Milan when he saw Boban wear the Rossoneri shirt in Europe, now it is Luka who wants to represent their colors in the Champions League. Other solutions do not seem so attractive: Arabia, USA or other exotic tournaments are not among his aspirations.
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Finally, it is likely that if, surprisingly, Modric decided to leave Milan he would do so for the last standing ovation of his incredible sporting history. Either Milan or goodbye to football, San Siro would become the theater in which to receive the final applause before definitive retirement from the scene. It happened, equally surprisingly, on the last night of the 22-23 championship, when Ibra announced to the amazement and ovation of the stadium that “the time to say goodbye to the football played” had arrived. His companions at the time greeted him with emotion. In just one season Modric conquered everyone: the public, the team, the staff, the club, anyone who had the chance to intercept him at Milanello. Described as a humble and kind champion. To keep him company today are his wife, children and parents who arrived immediately after the injury that required surgery. On the same days, the whole of Milan was also there. In the wedding vows, ready to be renewed, it is in fact written “for better or for worse”.
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