Modric doesn’t play for Real Madrid. Ancelotti: “Fantastic relationship with him”

Getting old is hard for everyone, even for the immense Luka Modric. Forever ‘Lukita’ in the hearts of Madrid fans, but a few weeks ago he reached the age of 38. And he is a victim despite the inexorable transition process that is taking Madrid from the magical Modric-Casemiro-Kroos trio to a combination that could become Valverde-Tchouameni-Camavinga. Modric knows it, Carlo does his thing, the process is natural. But he still brings with him some friction, longing faces, personal frustrations and hype in the press. The sunset avenue of such a great interpreter is dotted with these things.

splendid relationship

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“My personal relationship with Modric is fantastic – Ancelotti said a few days ago – and it will always be. Our relationship will never change. Then it is clear that now, in everyday life, he can be more or less happy with the situation. But this does not change the general terms of our relationship.” It’s difficult to explain it more clearly.

overcrowding

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Carlo is managing the transition as best he can, as usual. But it’s obvious that the last week has been painful for Luka: he started the derby at the Metropolitano and was replaced in the 45th minute in a match that Madrid ended up losing 3-1. Then two fixed benches with Las Palmas and Girona, two matches won by the blancos. And now there is Maradona. What will Ancelotti do? It is not excluded that against Napoli he could field Modric from the start, far from it. However, the choice to use the Croatian is linked to a complex system of joints: one of Joselu or Rodrygo must stay out, if Camavinga returns to midfield (he played left back in Girona), there is overcrowding with him, Tchouameni, Kroos , and Valverde, plus possibly Modric. That’s 5 names for 3 places, since Bellingham is untouchable.

modric case

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In all this the Spanish press fans the flames. He talks about the ‘Modric case’ even if Luka’s possible bad mood has never been revealed publicly, at every press conference there is no shortage of questions about the Croatian. Because he is a legend of Madridism, who has always played, both for Madrid and for the national team (which Luka did not leave unlike his friend Kroos) and seeing him on the bench always makes an impression.

the apparitions

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In Los Blancos’ 9 seasonal outings so far, Modric has been a starter 3 times, with Getafe, with Union Berlin and with Atletico. In the first two cases, Madrid won at the last minute, after substituting the Croatian. As mentioned, against Atletico he came off at half-time: Real were losing 2-1 and finished 3-1. On 4 other occasions Luka came off the bench, in the last two outings for the first time he wasn’t seen on the pitch even for a handful of minutes. “There is some problem with Modric” they write today in Marca. One, mainly: the inexorable passage of time.