Modric s 2020 interview: He once dreamed of becoming a Milan player; he hoped to retire at Real Madrid

Modric has now become a new player in Milan. Just five years ago, in June 2020, he had an exclusive interview with Luca Bianzin, a reporter from "Milan Sports Daily" before his Italian version of his autobiography was released, and talked about a lot of things about Milan. Coincidentally, Luca Bi'anzin now (the second time, in the summer of 2022) has become a follow-up reporter for Milan. Let's review what Modric said at that time. The most touching chapter in the book tells the story of Luka's grandfather, who was killed in the early stages of the Yugoslavia civil war, and the 6-year-old Luka and his grandfather parting forever...

My grandfather and I have a deep relationship. He always takes me to hunt, I am a helper for him, and he will drive livestock to grazle, which makes me feel special. I was only 6 years old at that time, and at that age, it was hard to understand that I would never see him again.

The Modric family moved to Zadar in those years. For today's children, how should they tell the story of Domagoi Basic and their family spent their years in the hotel as refugees?

When you are seven or eight years old, you feel different about trauma. When I was a kid, fear was not that scary. My family and I stayed at the Collovare Hotel, where there were many kids of my age: we played football or played hide and seek in the hotel parking lot until we heard the sirens. At that time, you know what to do: go to the shelter. There, it was safe, and we continued to play.

What about Basic?

Basic is my favorite coach. When I was adolescent, he was our guide. Those who want to stay on the team must read and share their reading experience. Domagoy teaches us to work hard, and sometimes he will deliberately make things difficult for someone and observe our reactions: He teaches us how to face injustice.

In those years, Luca Modric was still a Milan fan. In Italy, people were hotly discussing that he might sign with Milan or Inter Milan. How close is this to becoming a reality?

Boban is my idol. When I was a child, my father bought me a Milan jersey. I used to dream of becoming a Milan player, but then things didn't go that way... When you come to Real Madrid, it's hard to consider going somewhere else. If I don’t develop well in Real Madrid, I will definitely feel that I can also make good progress in Serie A. But to be honest, Real Madrid has always been my first choice.

What kind of person has that little boy grown up to now?

I think I am an ordinary person, advocating humility and low-key. I am very persevering and stubborn. Real Madrid's teammates called me "Jingtan" because I would care a lot if I lost the training game.

So does Italy have any special meaning to you?

I am paying attention to the situation in Italy, and I feel sorry for Milan. The real Milan is hard to find in Italy and even Europe. I have a WhatsApp group with my teammates of the Croatia national team. I feel very close to Brozovic, Badley and Passalic. Passalic is so outstanding that he finally found a club suitable for him (at that time, Chelsea was loaned to Atlanta and was bought out in the same summer).

What players do you like?

I have always admired technical players. Totti, del Piero, Pirlo. There are many young players nowadays who have unlimited potential, especially Zagnolo, who is talented. Sensi is also very interesting, and I also like Insigne, Pap Gomez, Ribery and Bennaser.

In Italy, people have discussed the book's description of the penalty kick against Real Madrid against Juventus (Juventus 3-1 Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals in 2017/18), which is the so-called "trash can incident". If the roles are swapped, will you protest?

I just said that in my opinion the penalty was judged reasonably. Lucas Vazquez was pushed when he was preparing to shoot a few steps away from the goal. Why does he have to fake a fall? I've experienced similar situations, and I understand those who protest, but the 30th minute penalty and the 95th minute penalty should not be treated differently. Anyway, I wish Buffon everything well and he is a great player.

What about Ronaldo? In the book "My Way", he was praised and criticized, and criticized him for not attending the 2018 FIFA Best Player Awards Ceremony...

I feel redundant when talking about his skills: he is one of the greatest players of all time. At Real Madrid, we all miss his goals and fighting spirit: Cristiano always desires victory, he inspires us and makes us full of fighting spirit. As a person, he is impeccable, kind-hearted, and always willing to help those in need.

Let’s talk about the future now, who will win the next Champions League and Serie A championship?

In the Champions League, I am optimistic about Paris Saint-Germain, although they will not participate until August. In addition, it is reasonable to say that Barcelona and Bayern have opportunities. We also have to pay attention to Atletico Madrid... Of course, popular teams like Manchester City and our Real Madrid will also be strong contenders. In Serie A, Juventus is the favorite to win the championship, but from a competitive perspective, it might be better if Lazio or Inter Milan can win the championship...

Editor's note: In the end, Modric is optimistic about Paris Saint-Germain lost 0-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final held in August 2020, and Inter Milan also won the runner-up in the Serie A League.

What will Modric look like in 10 years? Maybe he will become the coach of the Croatian national team?

I am confident that I can still maintain a high level of competitive state in the next two years, and then look at the situation later. I hope to end my career at Real Madrid, but it also depends on the club's arrangements. I will definitely get the coaching qualification exam. For us, the significance of the national team exceeds the football itself. Whether as a player or a coach, I will be very honored to be able to play for the national team..

Let's relax your horizons. As a player who is used to controlling the game, what do you think the future football will be like? Who will dominate the football world?

Mbappe has all the qualities of dominating the football world, but I think that in order to achieve a qualitative leap, he needs to go to a league where his team cannot easily win the championship. I also think Vinicius has great potential, and I also admire De Bruyne and Sterling. As for the development trend of football, it is to pursue speed, running speed, thinking speed, and decision-making speed. Only in this way can we gain a foothold in high-level competitions.