GdS: ’40 years as a maestro’ – what Modric wants from his ‘last chapter’ at Milan

Luka Modric celebrated his 40th birthday on Tuesday, and it came after another memorable night with the Croatian national team.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, Modric was greeted by a chocolate cake, chants from the games and even a game on the field with his daughter Ema. This was all after 82 minutes of hard work on the pitch versus Montenegro, with an assist to his name.

Midnight was awaited on the field, with the fans of the Stadion Maksimir paying homage to Modric, along with his wife Vanja – a former sports agent – and their children Ivano, Ema, and Sofia.

Luka the infinite

The party began on the pitch: Luka’s assist to Jakic for Croatia’s lead, which then grew into a 4-0 win. Modric’s 190th appearance for the national team lasted until eight minutes from time, despite the score being largely favourable.

He played another 25 minutes in the previous match, as a substitute against the Faroe Islands, and from today he’s back at Milanello for more minutes and more kilometres covered on the pitch. The champion ready for the final bit of his story, with a red and black backdrop.

He chose Milan because it was the team he admired as a child and who he wanted to end his career with (at least at an elite level). He also chose them because in the summer he had received the guarantees he demanded about the team’s competitiveness, and Modric wants to win again.

The grand finale of his story can only be one last trophy. He has already become the team’s central figure: two out of two starts in Serie A, and even against Milan his commitment exceeded expectations.

The effort lasted 74 minutes in the league opener against Cremonese, then 90 (with an assist) in the away match against Lecce. Last season with Real Madrid, Luka played 63 games for a total of 2,985 minutes on the pitch: an average of 47 minutes per game, so one half plus injury time.

Working overtime

Modric is also expected to start for the Rossoneri on Sunday evening against Bologna. Allegri would be hard-pressed to give up his class and quality. With his free-kick assist for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Modric also inspired the Rossoneri’s first win before the break.

He’ll return to Milanello today, after using yesterday to recover, and will be available to Max immediately. The player and the staff will work together to decide on the on-field management meaning he may also do a light training session this afternoon.

The Croatian would then push hard starting tomorrow, when the team is back at full strength. He will remain the leader of the midfield department, and will soon be joined by another: Adrien Rabiot.