Old master Modric (37) gives master class again: ‘There should be applause for that’
NOS Soccer–
Luka Modric just can’t seem to get the hang of it. With Croatia, the 37-year-old midfielder set the lines for the umpteenth time and, together with his compatriots, put Oranje over the knee. He crowned his performance with a goal in injury time and a substitution.
“What can I say. The love from the fans is incredible,” the Croatian said afterwards. “I can’t thank them enough. I am always extremely proud and happy when I play for Croatia,” the Real Madrid player continued.
It was not only the more than 14 thousand Croatians who sent down their reverence from the stands of the Kuip. Modric also got his hands on the Dutch fans.
Before Modric could take a seat in the dugout, he passed Ronald Koeman. Even during the match, the Dutch national coach did not hide his respect for Modric. “I said ‘great match, congratulations’ to him. If you play almost 120 minutes so well and so steady on the ball, then applause belongs.”
Frenkie de Jong was in midfield with the Netherlands and often ran into Modric on Wednesday night. De Jong, who is surely used to some things at Barcelona, was also impressed by the Croatian. “Modric was very good, but he usually plays very well,” he said.
Professional
Analyst Rafael van der Vaart played alongside Modric from 2010 to 2012 at Tottenham Hotspur. He comes up with an explanation for why the deterioration just doesn’t get a grip on the midfielder. “He was very professional and only concerned with soccer. We sometimes went into the pub after training at Tottenham, he went to sleep.”
Van der Vaart also saw up close that Modric had something special. “He was so terribly good. I played as 10, he was behind me. And you never had to pick up the ball. He turned open and put the ball between the lines like that with the outside right.”
Van der Vaart, who had a successful spell at Spurs, even claims that Modric made him great. “That’s how I see it. Because he was so good, really a key player. He could pass better with the outside of his right foot, than with the inside. It was really insane.
Watch the interview of Modric and his exploited penalty kick against the Netherlands in the extension below.
Modric grew up during the Croatian War of Independence. He was four when that war broke out in March 1991. His grandmother was executed by Serbian rebels and the Modric family’s childhood home also burned down.
Young Luka, whose father was also in the army, ended up with family at a hotel in Zadar. There he frequently kicked a ball to ease the suffering of war. Although, again, he was not so much involved with the violence he once said in the Croatian press. This was partly due to his parents, who took their son away from the misery.
Physical
“Regardless of the war, it was great for me as a kid in the hotel. I was not aware of the war and everything that happened around me,” Modric said.
In the parking lot, it became clear that he had talent. He first played at NK Zadar, before moving to Dinamo Zagreb in 2001. At that club, he eventually joined the first team. Modric previously said there were doubts about his physical strength. His short height and petite stature would make him unsuitable for top-level soccer.
And it is precisely Modric’s physicality that is now his strength. He has demonstrated that for years at Real Madrid, but also showed it again on a summer evening in Rotterdam. You would almost not believe that he is already 37, but as proof we may see his passport. “I’ll give it to you later, if you want,” he said.
