Today marks the 10th anniversary of one of the pivotal moments in the recent history of real Madrid: The purpose of Luka Modric in Old Trafford which started the path of return to the round of 16 second leg of Champions and, above all, it changed the fate of the Croatian midfielder at the white club.
The Balkan player landed a few months before at the express request of Jose Mourinho from Tottenham in exchange for 40 million euros. So, Luka Modric He is 27 years old and one of the most gifted midfielders far from the orbit of Europe’s greats.
His signing caused skepticism due to the price and his residence in the white team. Jose Mourinho He always believed in his potential but he was given entry into the team with a dropper due to the presence of players in the midfield like Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Lass or Di María.
The Croatian, a regular substitute, returned to the bench in an important match for Madrid: the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against united in Old Trafford. He Madrid dragged 1-1 yield at the Bernabéu (goals from Welbeck and of Cristiano Ronaldo) and everything went up in the second leg with an own goal by Ramos at the start of the second half.
However, the script of the game changed drastically with the expulsion of nani for a direct red card in the 56th minute for an iron on Arbeloa’s chest. The judge Çakir He didn’t hesitate to send the Portuguese off and angered both United and Ferguson.
Mourinho immediately reacted by moving on arbeloa to give an entry Modric and the Croatian, a few minutes after entering, hit a right hand from the front that went wide dey and grabbed the stick before entering. In full growth, Cristiano fired his former team to make it 1-2 and put Madrid in the quarterfinals.
He Madrid that didn’t work Champions after falling for the third time in a row with you in the semifinals, but the goal of Modric changed the status and fate of a player who was about to become transcendental in the white team at the hands of ancelottiwhich came a few months later.
Mourinhoyears ago, explained why he pressed Florentino to sign Modric. “I insisted so much on bringing Modric because he had everything we need: technique, vision, reading, quality to make decisions, speed to think, long, short movement, he knows how to press, he is intense… we need everything. that,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
