Modrić: Milan are at the same level as Real Madrid
A competitive mentality
Luka Modric is ready for a second season at Milan. The Croatian has made his ambition plain: to compete and to deliver on the club's ambitions.
The Croatian star said, in remarks highlighted by the Spanish newspaper "AS": "Deep down, I knew I wanted to continue with Milan, but I also had to check other matters that would allow me to do so. And now I am here, and happy to be back."
Unfinished business drove the decision too. "Frustration is the word I would use to describe the final match, because we were performing well," the midfielder said. "Until March we were competing for the title, and it also hurt me on a personal level that the injury did not allow me to help the team as I had done up to that point."
He added: "In the end, we were unable to qualify for the Champions League, but other positive things remained, namely the atmosphere surrounding the club, and in the dressing room, and the bond between us. We respect each other a great deal."
Even at the World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States, Milan never left his thoughts. "In the first days, I thought only about what went wrong, after a year that was very positive," Modric said. "Then I had to focus with Croatia at the World Cup, but I always stayed in contact with the club, and Milan was always present in my mind, despite my focus with my country's national team."
He continued: "During the season, I could have signed the contract renewal, even in December, but I first wanted to listen to my body and find out whether I had the same desire and passion for football. When Milan showed me how much they cared about me, and their interest in my presence within the new project, that was what I needed to hear. I spoke with my family and decided to stay."
Age is the topic everyone else raises. He does not. "Everyone talks about my age, and some players are half my age, but I do not think about it. They make me feel younger and encourage me to compete with them, which drives me to keep progressing. I am extremely competitive."
Behind every decision, Modric insists, sits the love of the Milan supporters. "I felt the fans' love throughout the year, wherever we were. It was more than I could imagine. When you feel this much love, what you want is to return this love and give the best you have to represent Milan."
He added: "I played for the biggest club in the world, which is Real Madrid, but my feeling is that Milan is at the same level. When people talk about Milan, they talk about it in a different way from how they talk about other clubs. When you come here, you understand that. I felt as if I had been here for years. And this drives me to give more."
Modric concluded: "This is the place I want to be, and that is why I am here. I came back with the same goal I had on the first day, which is to win. We have to be humble, work hard, and be united. When you play for a club like this, the natural logic is to think about winning, not just qualifying for the Champions League. You have to aspire to the maximum, and this is the same goal we all have."
