GdS: Modric ‘here to win’ – how day one at Milan went and when he will begin training

The long wait is over, and yesterday it was official: Luka Modric is a new AC Milan player until June 30, 2026, with an option to extend by another year.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall that the club announced Modric on their official website last night, then proudly highlighted just a couple of aspects from Luka’s impressive resume.

“He is the captain and the most capped player in Croatian history. In 2018, he won the Ballon d’Or, crowning an extraordinary career that has established him as one of the greatest players in the history of world football,” the stated.

The red and black shirt knows a thing or two about Ballon d’Ors, having seen and had quite a few winners. The reminder of the good old days is strong, as intense as the smile Modric wore when he landed at Malpensa’s private airport yesterday morning.

When the airport’s sliding doors opened, he appeared serene and smiling. He would state “I’m very happy to be here, I have great challenges ahead of me” before climbing into the car with the journalists waiting for him (there were several foreign TV crews, including a Croatian one).

Then, later in the day, he added: “Hello to all AC Milan fans, I just arrived in Milan and I’m very happy and excited to start a new chapter in my career. A big hug to all of you: I can’t wait to see you at San Siro.

“We hope to give you many wonderful moments and make you proud and happy of us, celebrating many victories together. I’m ready and excited. Why did I choose AC Milan? Because it’s a great club.”

Winning experience

For Milan, Modric isn’t just an added value on the pitch, but a sort of psychological refreshment offered to the fans. They followed him everywhere yesterday: first to the La Madonnina clinic for medical checks, to the Centro Ambrosiano for sports fitness, to the Melia Hotel and finally to Casa Milan.

After visiting the Rossoneri museum, he signed the contract with a salary of €3.5m net per year. There was time to head to Milanello though, unfortunately. Allegri and the team were waiting for him but Luka was once again at Malpensa for a private flight to Zadar, where he couldn’t land after a certain time.

So, the rendezvous was postponed until August 4th or 5th, when Milan will have already returned from their tour and Modric from his well-deserved vacation following the Club World Cup with Real Madrid. At the Rossoneri, he will find his number 14 jersey, bequeathed to him by Tijjani Reijnders.