The Magic Flute: Unity helps Croatia work miracles and will continue to serve the country as long as the requirements are met

The Magic Flute: Unity to help Croatia do miracles will continue to fight for the country as long as the requirements are met< titlesplit > country

Live on September 8. Croatia is preparing for the start of a friendly tournament in Europe. Modric has also been selected for the new Croatian national team. He was interviewed at length by the Croatian media Morning Post. The second part of the interview is as follows. Modric mainly spoke about his feelings about the Croatian national team.

- You'll be 38 on Saturday. Is this a good time for active players?

"Fantastic! If someone had been told ten years ago that I still love football and everything that comes with it, coaching, dealing with my teammates, supporting the fans, I wouldn't have believed it. I am a very happy person with my dreams. "Family, it makes my life meaningful, I enjoy football very much, in Croatia, in Real Madrid and most importantly, I am as passionate as I was when I was youngest, I always play football with that passion..."

INTERVIEWER In addition to a birthday cake, do you want a birthday present?

"The only gift I want is two wins against Latvia and Armenia."

- Let's go back eight months, in the last interview with us, you told us "let's win gold", and then you came back from the Netherlands with a silver medal, and from today's point of view, this is a fact. What impressions? (Note: Croatia lost to Spain in Europa League final)

"It's like when you win your third medal with the national team and you get disappointed. It's an even bigger pity when you lose the title in a penalty shootout. We did well in the Nations League final and I'm here for the country. The team is proud. Austria got off to a bad start, followed by a series of successes and maturity, during which we played successfully in the World Cup. A UEFA Nations League winner would be the icing on the cake. ”

Are you worried that your journey to success will end here after the dramatic 2008 match with Turkey in Vienna (note that Croatia lost to Turkey in 2008 and missed the semi-finals of the European Championships)?

"No... We succeeded more than once, and this time fate favored the opponent. We had good scorers and goalkeepers and in the end we only missed that penalty shootout. We have shown a strong personality throughout the year and we have never given up." No matter who we face, no matter how the game goes. Against Spain, we played well against a very young but very talented team. It's a talented team and this time luck is on their side. ”

- We often hear that Croatia will not be able to stand on the podium this time, but you have repeatedly denied it with facts. How did you do it?

"There may be different versions of Croatia. So, what gives us the ability to compete in major events, to be part of the top tournament for years, to win medals in two consecutive World Cups, to beat the hottest champions, to defy all the logic triggered by major events? We have become part of a big team and we have to nurture it as continuity. So, for me, the success of the UEFA Nations League confirms this continuity, and 2018 and 2022 are not coincidental or short-lived years. If there is one major merit to highlight, apart from certain qualities that we must possess as a team, it is our solidarity! ”

- Is Croatia the strongest national team to be envied?

"It's understandable to me because I know how many players lack passion in the various strongest national teams. Unity is not a cliché, but an extremely important state of relationship within and around the team. No, you can have the highest level. "The quality of the players, but the lack of completeness in the scoring of the final goal. On this basis, Croatia, although a small country with a relatively small population, has created sporting miracles, and not only in football. ”

- But we also have the most expensive defenders ever, the fact that there are currently two Croatian players in the strongest clubs in the world and teams led by the best coaches in the team to strengthen their near-perfect winning machine?

"I just want to say that considering the waves of young people coming out of the national team, we feel more strongly together. If we specifically exclude me, including the veterans Perisic, Vida and Brozovic, you can still count Kovacic and the rest are young players with potential. They are energetic and enthusiastic, they show joy as part of Croatia, actually half of the players this summer. Moving to a stronger and bigger club speaks for itself. There is a lot of knowledge about their strength. This is the basis of my optimistic view of the national team. ”

- At the World Cup in Russia, Rebic was an important breakthrough creator. Unfortunately, he was also the initiator of the conflict with the manager, and he has since disappeared from the stage of the national team. It's so bad. At least so far, no new names have emerged against this backdrop, although there are some forwards in the young shortlist that deserve closer study.

"We have a lot of young and interesting players, some in the senior national team, some close to the senior national team, some from the national youth team. Time will tell if anyone can prove themselves to be a force, I hope so. Young players are likely to become new 'right holders', bringing this benefit years later. ”

- What year? ...... Who knows where your generation of players will be and what they will lose compared to what we have now. Speaking of you, you've been under pressure for how long you've been able to play over the years, does that indicate widespread concern about what Croatia's team would be like without you?

"First of all, let's define the problem. Before me, Croatia played at a high level and after me and everyone they played like that. As I said before, the strength of the Croatian national team spans 30 years of history. ” ”。 , in the spirit of community, belonging, and attachment. We must use this as a basis for representing this country, and then success will be the result of the quality of reality that we create. Now that I'm here, I'm happy and honoured to play for Croatia..."

- On the eve of the UEFA Nations League final, you said you had already made a decision, which means you can say goodbye?

"I say this mainly because this topic does not affect the atmosphere and preparation for the National League final. I understand the interest of the media and the public, but the issue has been discussed for too long and somehow burdened the national team. "When I announced the UEFA Europa League as my next project, there was no more speculation and we were calm before the game."

- But then he did not clarify and kept the issue open until Dalic announced the roster for the national team competition.

"I have discussed this topic with the coach, Dalic has expressed a strong desire to stay in the national team, my desire is also in this direction, but I am a player and I don't know if the national team needs me." Or not. Or whether I am a burden or not, I am always very subjective. Even in my dreams I didn't want to go through something like this, I would be a player that the national team no longer needed. Further play" European Qualifiers and Germany. After the loss to Spain, I was in a very bad mood and I didn't like any talk or media coverage about my condition. ”

Without your presence, Dalic might not have imagined himself as a coach. Your attitude towards the game must have made him happy because he constantly pointed out how important you are on and off the pitch.

"I will be working with the coach for six years and he has been very fair and honest in the coach-captain relationship. Some things in the national team sometimes bother me because I think they are inappropriate and limited in athletics. "Progress. Dalic and I discussed the topic very openly two years ago, and the series of events that followed showed that the coach meant when he said he agreed that something had to change. This is an important detail view when reaching the Nations League final after another successful World Cup...

– How do you explain to the public the decision to move forward?

"Well, there's no specific explanation, unless someone said it a long time ago. Basically, since the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the question of how long I will play for Croatia and how long I will play has been repeated. I've already said it haha..."

- Constant repetition is the mother of wisdom?

"I have said many times that the most important factor for a player is that he is at the level of physicality required by the game and that he is still very motivated even in his later years. When it comes to physical confrontation, I think everyone can see how the rhythm we are doing now, fortunately I have no injuries, I don't have chronic diseases, and I have been doing prevention work for many years, and when it comes to motivation, sometimes I feel more motivated than before, I think as you get older, especially when you know you're reaching your goals. In the end, the best sign for me is that I enjoy every training, every game, I go out and play with my teammates and at the same time I clearly feel respect for the national team and staff. ”

- This means that you will stay until Euro 2024 and then may play in the UEFA Nations League or...

"I think people can already understand that I don't have a long-term attitude because it's illogical at my age. I focus on the present moment. I go to training every day, game after game, to hear about me. "And my case. Good for the team. If I feel like I'm at this level and can still make a difference, I'm willing to keep going. I can't control the story of the years or the passage of time, but I can control my level of preparation, I know how I feel, I'm happy to be in the national team, so there is no expression, I feel like I can still stay in the national team for another year or two, or three months, I feel that the time is ripe, treat the old people like this, haha..."

in Cosimo

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