When the sun kisses his fertile soil,
When the wind blows his oak tree,
When heaven summons his beloved,
His heart is still beating for Croatia.
- Croatian national anthem "Our beautiful motherland"
It is a country that has emerged from the smoke of gunfire and war, and the 2018 World Cup in Russia has shown the world to see it. This team is the "Plaid Legion" Croatia, and their captain is Luka Modric.
"Luca is a role model for modern players", is what former Manchester United manager Alex Alex Ferguson said of the diminutive world-class midfielder. With the regret of hating Russia, the Croatian golden generation led by Modric is about to usher in its own farewell performance in Qatar.
A fugitive childhood
Modric's childhood can be called "upheaval" and "exile".
Luca Modric was born on 9 September 1985 in Zadar, the former Yugoslavia, to a nearby woolen factory worker. Because of his busy schedule, little Modric was raised by his grandfather from an early age. In 1991, Yugoslavia disintegrated, triggering ethnic antagonism and civil war. Modric's grandfather was shot dead by Serbian militants while walking cattle on an abandoned street. Unable to emerge from their grief, the Modric family began a life of upheaval and eventually settled in a temporary refugee camp at the Koloval Hotel, where little Modric lived for seven years.
Despite being in the center of the war, little Modric has not given up his love of football, and the happiest time of the day is playing with his friends in the corner under the haze of war.
In 1992, at the age of 7, Modric showed extraordinary football talent and officially embarked on the road of football with the support of his uncle.
In 1997, at the age of 12, Modric received an offer to try out for Hayduk Club, but due to his short and thin size, he was rejected by the club, which also gave up the idea of giving up football.
"We have a home!"
In 2001, Modric moved to the capital Zagreb and joined the region's largest football club, Dinamo Zagreb, officially becoming a professional footballer. And this is the starting point of Modri's legendary road.
In the 03-04 season, Modric was loaned to a team in the Bosnian Premier League. Modric dominated the pitch with his excellent skills. During the season, Modric made 22 appearances in the Bosnian Premier League, scored 8 goals and was elected the season of the Bosnian Premier League Footballer of the Year.
In the 04-05 season, Modric returned to the Croatian league and joined Zagreb Inkel on loan, where he helped the team to a runners-up finish in the Croatian league and he was also named Croatia's Star of the Year.
In 2005, Modric returned to Dinamo Zagreb after his loan term. From the beginning of the 05-06 season, Modric quickly became a regular at Dinamo Zagreb with his outstanding performances. The team also signed him to a 10-year contract and paid him a generous salary.
After receiving his salary, Modric did not buy himself a luxury car or mansion, but bought an apartment for his family in the city of Zadar. When he walked to the hotel front desk to check out, he finally said the words that had been buried in his heart for ten years: "We have home!" ”
After more than ten years of wandering, Modric finally gave his family a home on his own.
Fame White Deer Lane
In the summer of 2008, Tottenham Hotspur in north London welcomed Modric to the scene.
In his debut season, Modric made 40 appearances, scoring five goals and providing eight assists. In his second season, he made 32 appearances, scoring three goals and providing four assists.
In the group stage of the 10-11 season, Tottenham faced defending champions Inter Milan, and Modric assisted Van der Vaart to open the scoring to help the team win 3-1 against Inter Milan, and finally beat the opponent to finish first in the group. After reaching the knockout round, he defeated AC Milan and reached the last 8. Despite Tottenham's 5-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, Modric was also named Player of the Season.
Four years of White Hart Lane have passed in a flash, and Modric has conquered coaches and fans with his smooth transfers, outstanding ball merchants and wide range of movements, and has become a world-class midfielder.
Chinese fans based on Modric's homonym, coupled with his dreamy and flowing style of play, gave him the apt nickname "The Magic Flute", and the magic of the Magic Flute naturally cannot stay in Tottenham forever.
Shine at the Bernabeu
In the summer of 2012, Real Madrid officially announced the signing of Modric. The Magic Flute began his dynastic path in the Holy Land of the Bernabeu.
However, the Magic Flute was not happy in the early stages of his debut season, and he was slow to integrate into Mourinho's tactics with high hopes. On 25 June 2013, Carlo Ancelotti succeeded Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, and the Magic Flute took off this season.
Although the team did not win the league title, it is invincible on the road to the Champions League. After a big win over Schalke, avenging the Hornets, 5-0 Bayern and league champions Atletico Madrid at the Stadium of Light, the classic 9248 miracle helped Real Madrid win the 10th Champions League in team history.
Throughout the 13-14 season, the Magic Flute made 51 appearances, scored two goals, handed out nine assists, made a whopping 1,987 passes in La Liga, was Real Madrid's most passes, and was named the best central defender in La Liga of the season and named to the Champions League team.
Destiny is like the stars
In Russia in 2018, Modric led the Plaid Legion to play "Croatian Rhapsody".
This is Modric's sixth World Series and the first time he has led the Plaid Corps as captain.
After a comfortable victory over Nigeria in the first round of the group stage, Croatia welcomed Argentina with Messi. In the 80th minute, Modric scored a spectacular world wave, just like the one scored by Manchester United five years ago, and Croatia beat Argentina 3-0.
Throughout the group stage, the Magic Flute was the player with the most tackles on the team. He is the dependence of Croatia and the soul of Croatia.
Before the semi-final game against England, Modric said in an interview, "Our destiny is written on the stars", and they did it, losing the final but winning the world. They showed the world that Croatia, a small war-torn country in Eastern Europe, could also reach the final of the World Cup.
"Croatian Rhapsody" plays the strongest sound in Russia, and Modric is the best commander in the hearts of all Croats.
When the hero ends
A few days ago, Modric said in an interview with FIFA that the 2022 Qatar World Cup will be his last match for Croatia.
"People will ask me why I still play for the national team instead of focusing on the club game. I would like to say that the national team is very special for me, there is nothing happier than playing for my country, saying goodbye to the national team will be very difficult. ”
Not surprisingly, the Qatar World Cup will be the last of Modric's career. From a cowherd to now Croatian national hero, the Magic Flute has been around for 37 years. His seemingly weak body hides the strength of a nation, and his thin shoulders carry the hope of a nation.
"I have another dream to make a dream come true with Croatia," Modric said. In Qatar, fans around the world are looking forward to the melodious magic flute to play and lead the "Lattice Army" to another miracle.
Cover News reporter Yan Lei Intern Luo Qiyu
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