Today marks the 10th anniversary of Luka Modric’s arrival at Real Madrid. On a day like today, a decade ago, the Croatian midfielder signed his contract with the white club and was presented at the Santiago Bernabéu. We examine Modric’s magnificent decade at Real Madrid in 10 moments.
1
the debut
Reach out and kiss the saint
Luka Modric made his Real Madrid debut a few days after his arrival against Barcelona in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup which Mourinho’s team won. The Croatian, who missed the preseason, entered the final period and had a clear chance to score. This was the first of 21 titles he won as a Madridista.
two
The Old Trafford goal
The day everything changed
The first season was not easy for Modric, more used to starting as a substitute than as a starter. He also had to start from the bench in the round of 16 against Manchester United at Old Trafford. With Madrid 1-0 down and on the brink of elimination, Mou turned to the Balkan player to demand a comeback and Modric began to tip the balance with a fine goal from outside the area. From that day on, nothing was the same for Modric.
3
The corner of Tenth
Help Ramos
If there is a goal that has forever marked the history of Real Madrid, it was Sergio Ramos’s in Lisbon in the Champions League final in 2014. It was the 93rd minute and Madrid were on the verge of a KO against Atlético but Modric, corner , he put a measured center to Ramos that changed the fate of the white team.
4
The worst damage
I’m three months old
On 16 November 2014, in a friendly for Croatia at the San Siro against Italy, Modric suffered a rupture of the proximal tendon of the left femoral tendon which kept him in dry dock for more than three months. That injury sidelined him throughout the course and caused Madrid to fall out of contention for all titles at the end of the season.
5
the first league
Double in the 2016/17 season
Modric’s first Liga with Real Madrid will take his time. It took up to four seasons for the Croatian to win his first league title with Madrid at the hands of Zinedine Zidane.
6
Exhibition in Cardiff
Madrid prove Champions again
Luka Modric directed the performance of Real Madrid in the 2017 Champions League final against Juventus Turin (4-1). On the pitch in Cardiff, Zidane’s team reaffirmed the Champions League title, something no one else had achieved. The Croatian also signed the 3-1 assist for Cristiano Ronaldo.
7
The golden ball
Farewell to the Messi-Ronaldo hegemony
Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 thanks to his third consecutive Champions League and his excellent World Cup, where he led Croatia to the final as the tournament’s best player. For the first time in 10 years, the prestigious award did not go to Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
8
An exterior for history
Decisive against Chelsea
In the second leg of the last Champions League quarter-finals, Madrid were up to their necks in water, losing 0-3 and on the brink of elimination, until Luka Modric pulled an impossible cross out of his hat for Rodrygo will take the match to extra time, where the Whites will seal their place in the semi-finals.
9
The most special champions
Madrid holds the sky over Paris
Real Madrid crowned an epic Champions League comeback that culminated in the final in Paris against Liverpool, where Modric offered his most supportive and defensive version, another of the facets that make him the midfielder of the era.
10
KMC’s latest service
The European Super Cup
The historic trio of Kroos, Modric and Casemiro made their final appearance in the European Super Cup against Eintracht. A few days later, Casemiro left Madrid to start a new phase at Manchester United, leaving his battle mates ‘orphaned’.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
