For the first time, Luka Modric told us a story about him.
From the midfield master of the Galactic Battleship Real Madrid to the leader of the Croatian national team,
From the war-torn homeland to the champions of the UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Footballer of the Year,
How did he grow into a player worthy of praise?
As one of the greatest midfielders of nearly two decades, Luca showed the world how difficult it is for a Croatian to emerge from the war and become a professional player, writing his story of Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid on his journey to lead his country to the historic World Cup final and finish runner-up.
In the book, Luca will take us to an insight into his precious family life and how his peak career helped Croatia step by step to reach the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
What would he think in the decisive match?
How does he relate to the key players and coaches?
What is it about inner strength that keeps him able to fight on the pitch until the last moment?
How did he become one of the best footballers in the world?
Luca was always somewhat underestimated early in his career, but he broke those doubts with courage and determination and eventually reached the ultimate heights of world football, which, in his own words, was Modric.
Luka Modric, recognized as one of the best midfielders of this generation, in 2018 he became the first in football history to win the World Cup Ballon d'Or, Fifa Footballer of the Year, UEFA Footballer of the Year and the French Ballon d'Or in the same year. He played for Real Madrid and captained the Croatian national team.
Robert Matteoni, columnist, editor, and renowned sports journalist. He began his career as a footballer and later became a sports journalist. He has been an official correspondent for the Croatian national team since 1994 and has followed the team on interviews at three World Cups and three European Championships.
"A great player, a great man" - Bale
"The greatest midfielder of the last two decades" - Sir Alex Ferguson
Prologue - Sir Alex Ferguson
When we talk about Luca today, there's no doubt that he's a very talented player who, in my opinion, can be compared to the greatest midfielders of the last 20 years, like Xavi, Iniesta and Scholes. His performance at the 2018 World Cup made him the best player in that World Cup, and so far he is still the best player in the league.
When Luca joined Tottenham in 2008, we were surprised to be at Manchester United, although we saw him in the radar system introduced by our players and had contact with him a year ago, but manchester United at that time had Keane, Scholes and Carrick that made us have to give up on him temporarily, once I watched him play with us, his performance impressed me very much, in the Premier League environment, he is very strong, you can't ignore his ability and the obvious talent he showed when he played.
In the three seasons at Tottenham, Luca improved significantly, I reintroduced him as my target in 2011, but Spurs were reluctant to sell to us because we had already snatched Carrick and Berbatov from them before. It's a shame that I nominated my favorite Player of the Year to Luca in 2011, and it wasn't a difficult decision.
He signed for Real Madrid in 2012, and the stories that have happened since then have become legendary, and he has gradually grown into one of the greatest players in Real Madrid's history. The 1/8 Champions League match against Real Madrid at Old Trafford in March 2013 was my last chance to try to win the Champions League, but we were deprived of the last possibility by a disgraceful decision by the referee, who sent Nani off when we were in full control and took a 1-0 lead. As soon as Nani was sent off, Mourinho replaced Modric and the match ended 1-2. It was Luca's performance that killed us.
Looking back at Luca's career and his life background, he is the model player whose talent trumps his body. When Paul Scholes joined United at the age of 13, he was less than 5'3" tall and some wondered if he was too young, myself included. But soon, all of us changed our minds because of his performance on the football field. In fact, the best way to evaluate a player is the performance you see on the pitch.
Regardless of height, stature and strength, Luka Modric has used his performance to be a shining example for all young players, and I would like to extend my deepest greetings and the highest respect to him, this man told you that playing football is not only physical but also talented, if you are like him, you can too.