Which football club does Luka Modric play for? Luka Modric - biography, information, personal life. Croatian heart and brain of Real Madrid

Luka Modric played several football clubs before becoming a fan favorite on grass. The athlete’s talent blossomed with his arrival at Real Madrid, and here the young man climbed to the pinnacle of fame. The Croatian footballer, who brought a lot of joy to the fans, is soon going to retire.

Childhood and youth

Luka was born in the Croatian city with an amazing history of Zadar. However, in the early 90s, I had to leave my home and settle in the tourist Zaton, while my father repaid his debt to his homeland - the Yugoslav wars broke out. The accommodation was a dilapidated hotel.

The parents hid from their son that there was a war going on in their homeland. The grandfather of the future football star became a victim of the fighting - he, like other elderly residents of the village, was executed.

After the head of the family returned from the army, the opportunity arose to realize his sporting talents: the boy showed ability in football. The parents decided not to spare money. Despite financial difficulties, the father carved out money from his modest salary to pay for his son’s classes at the Sports Academy.

The footballer recalls in an interview that his first pads were made for him by coach Tomislav Bašić, who immediately saw bright abilities in the boy.

Luka is not the only athlete in his family who kicks a ball. Australian footballer Mark Viduka (also Croatian by nationality) is Modric's cousin.

Football

The first contract in the biography of the aspiring football player appeared in 2002. The 16-year-old boy signed a document of cooperation with the Zagreb club Dinamo. He played the season in the youth team, and then was loaned to Zrinski, part of the Bosnian Premier League. It was here that the young man demonstrated his versatile playing style and took the main place on the podium of Bosnian athletes.

Then the player was loaned to the Inter team for a season, where he proved himself brilliant. With his help, the Croatian club replenished its treasury with silver won at the national championship. But soon the “native” club took back the talented young footballer, who had already acquired the title of “the hope of Croatia.”

A 10-year contract was signed with Dynamo. Luka instantly joined the ranks of the main team. Position on the field: playmaker, sometimes served as a left attacking midfielder. The athlete devoted six years to the club, during which time Dynamo won several trophies, including winning the national championship and receiving a ticket to the UEFA Cup. Modric became the champion of Croatia and was named player of the year.

The 2008-2009 season entered into triumph - world-famous football organizations fought for the Croatian player. They wanted to assign Luka Modric to Manchester United, Manchester City, and Barcelona. He chose Tottenham (London), the transfer amount was 16.5 million pounds.

Luka was placed in a position unusual for him - as a central midfielder. The game was not easy for the young footballer, and fans began to say that the purchase was in vain. Once fans even called Modric a “lightweight”, accusing him of not wanting to play, while the young man simply couldn’t - he suffered a knee injury.

The situation changed dramatically when new coach Harry Redknapp arrived, who returned Modric “to his place.” Immediately the Croatian's game changed, goals fell one after another. The first time he hit the gates of Moscow Spartak.

His talents appeared in all their glory in Real Madrid, where Luka arrived at the end of the summer of 2012 and put on a T-shirt with the number “10”. A year later, Modric's game captivated fans, and the footballer turned into one of the main faces of the team. Of course, it was impossible to get around, but he brilliantly coped with attacks, worked selflessly in defense and delighted the fans with magnificently beautiful goals.

And how many spectacular feints he showed that earned him a standing ovation. With each season, Modric's statistics grew: the athlete was especially striking in the increase in the number of accurate passes and tackles. He also showed the ability to score and rebound well.

The football player has acquired a variety of nicknames. The Spaniards called him “Diamond Bow” and even “Pony” - for his lightness and short stature: with a height of 172 cm, the football player weighs 66 kg. The newspapers were full of laudatory articles, saying that the Croatian had filled Real Madrid's game with Balkan freshness.

The footballer owes another nickname to a retired Dutch striker who is reputed to be a fan of Modric. Luka's playing style was compared to the style of the legendary Dutchman, so he was called the “Croatian Cruyff”. Moreover, funny comparisons of football players with each other are circulating on the Internet. Ball game fans see Luka's resemblance to Johan. Indeed, men are similar in hairstyle and facial features.

In 2017, European media found out how much Modric's transfer price had changed. The price of the key player in the Los Blancos midfield dropped from €45 million to €40 million. In 2018, the Real Madrid player's salary was €10.5 million.

Luka became the main contender for the title of best football player of 2017 according to France Football. The list also included N'Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe. However, in the end, Cristiano Ronaldo received the Golden Ball. In the same year, Modric entered the top 20 of the FIFA Top 100 player rating.

In 2006, Modric was called upon to defend the country's honor. For the first time in the Croatian national team, the footballer played against Argentina, and scored the first goal against Italy, which secured him a permanent place in the national team.

The player did not disappoint, setting a record at Euro 2008 - he scored the fastest goal in the history of European competitions. The Austrian gate was damaged. The Croats then defeated not only Austria, but also Germany. Two people stood out in the team. Luka Modric was called the brain of the team, and Ivan Rakitic was the soul and heart.

Personal life

Luke got married at the age of 25. His agent Vanya Bosnich became his chosen one. For four years, the young people had a business relationship, and it all ended with a wedding.

Modric is the father of three children. Literally a month after the wedding, an heir was born into the family, whom the happy parents named Ivan. Three years later, his wife gave the footballer a daughter, Emanuel. And in 2017, another addition occurred: Luka and Vanya had a daughter, Sofia.

Luka Modric is a homely person; unlike his colleagues, he does not like noisy parties and social events. It is impossible to catch a football player in a nightclub, but on weekends it is quite possible to see him with his wife and children at the zoo, for example.

The athlete runs a page on "Instagram", where, in addition to photographs from the “battlefields,” there are scatterings of family photos.

Luka Modric now

At the end of the 2017-2018 season, Modric was recognized as the best Croatian footballer of the year. Real Madrid left the field with victories throughout the winter and spring. In May, together with their fellow country club, Atlético became the best cup team in the world.

In the spring of 2018, Luka became involved in a high-profile scandal regarding an anti-corruption investigation in the Croatian football sector. A case is being considered against the former head of Dinamo Zagreb, Zdravko Mamic. The man is accused of embezzling the proceeds from the sale of Luka to Tottenham.

The football star also came under investigation. The prosecutor's office believes that Modric gave false testimony when talking about the details of the transfer. If guilt is confirmed, the footballer will go to prison for five years.

And by the summer, fans received another sad news. The best Croatian midfielder, who will celebrate 33 years, is going to be replaced by a younger player. The list of candidates for a place in Real Madrid includes Christian Eriksen, Piotr Zielinski, Marco Verratti, . The favorite so far is Miralem Pjanic from Juventus. However, the contract ends only in 2020. Then Luka planned to put an end to his career. His dream is to hang up his boots at the club that brought the footballer world fame.

The Croatian national team became a real sensation at the 2018 World Championships in Russia. Having successfully qualified from the group, the Croats were able to knock out the Danes and Russians from the playoffs on penalties, and also beat the English (2-1), ending up in the World Cup finals for the first time in their history. On July 15, 2018, the final of the FIFA World Cup took place in Luzhniki, in which the French team turned out to be stronger.

Despite the defeat of the Croats with a score of 2-4, it was Luka Modric who was recognized as the best player of the 2018 World Cup. This is a well-deserved Ballon d'Or.

Awards

• Three-time Croatian champion
• Winner of two Croatian Cups
• 2006 – Croatian Super Cup
• 2014 – Spanish Cup
• 2017 - champion of Spain
• 2012, 2017 - Spanish Super Cup
• 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 - UEFA Champions League winner
• 2014, 2016, 2017 - UEFA Super Cup winner
• 2014, 2016, 2017 - winner of the Club World Championship

“What will this bony one give you?” How Luka Modric became cool

Wooden shields, life in a ghost town, a brutal Bosnian championship and the status of the worst newcomer in Spain - this is how Luka Modric went to glory.

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Gareth Bale is the main star of the current European Championship. Seven years ago, all of England laughed at him. And even my Tottenham teammates.

The UEFA Team of the Year was made up entirely of stars who are talked about a lot. Cristiano Ronaldo And Leo Messi, Antoine Griezmann And Gigi Buffon, Sergio Ramos And Gerard Pique– everyone is visible, they score a lot, even as defenders, and are always in the spotlight. See in their company Luka Modric marvelous.

In Real Madrid he is a key midfielder who has gained authority in Madrid and the Santiago Bernabeu, in Croatia he is a star and an idol, books about whom are sold at high prices and at a rapid pace. Now the whole world admires how good Modric is for his size, but few knew that more than 10 years ago Luka heard from the whole world how weak, fragile and small he is. “He looks like a little boy in a witch’s outfit,” the Guardian wrote about Modric, and this is how the Croatian was assessed for almost his entire career.

Luka does not like to talk about his childhood - like any Yugoslav boy growing up in the 1990s, many memories are occupied by the war. He was six when his family ran away from their home in the village of Zaton in fear. On a December morning, Modric’s grandfather, after whom Luka was named, went out into the clearing to graze cattle, did not return by lunchtime, the whole family rushed to look for him, and found him in the evening covered in cold blood. We decided to run away. The Modrics packed their things, ran away, and a few hours later their lonely house was set on fire.

Luka Modric was six when his family fled their home in the village of Zaton in fear.

We went to the ghost town of Obrovac, where they built a shelter hotel “Kolovare” for Croatian Bosnians. Parents who had lost their jobs at a knitting factory were looking for a new place to earn money, and Stipe, the head of the family, also went to war. In a world full of bombs and explosions, Modric was almost the most comfortable of all - every day he went out to the hotel parking lot, kicked a ball there and was sure to break something. With the sound of glass clinking, frightened faces crawled out of the windows, but instead of bombs, a soccer ball was flying in the street.

“One day I received a call from an employee of Kolovare, who called me to look at one boy who was always kicking a ball,” recalls Josip Baylo, manager of Zadar, a team from a coastal city 40 kilometers from Obrovac, which invited Modric to its academy just after watching it in the parking lot. “He was very thin and small for his age, but you could immediately see something special about him. Although we did not dream that Luka would later grow into a star.

The poor Croatian family had no money for anything; they lived without electricity or running water for two years. We barely scraped enough food for four people, for Luka, Stipe, and mom Radojki and brother Yasmina, but Stipe Modric always found time for football and bought his son boots and a T-shirt. One day there was no money for shields, then Stipe showed ingenuity and cut the shields himself, from wood. Then Luke got a new pair of shields, with the image Ronaldo, which Modric wore before starting Dinamo Zagreb. “I was proud because Ronaldo was my idol. He was the real Ronaldo!” – Luka recalled in 2011. Who would have known...

The school of big football took place in the Bosnian “Zrinjski”. This is another place to improve - in the Bosnian league, attacking players have their legs torn to pieces, and in skirmishes conflicts arise on a national theme, stretching from kindergartens. Modric was sent to Bosnia with other young players, Janjatovic, Barniak– these names won’t tell you anything. “We saw potential in Luka, but Dinamo Zagreb told us: “What can this little, bony guy give you? He’s too weak for your football,” recalls Ivica Djidic, vice-president of Zrinjski, where Modric played.

“Luka was unusually fragile,” says Dzidic. – As soon as Modric felt tired, he immediately asked for a replacement. At the beginning of the season we played against Celik in 40-degree heat, and Luka raised his hands already by the 30th minute. The audience whistled, but how could it not be removed? It’s better to sit on the bench than die on the field.”

Modric received a set of individual training sessions from Djidic, remained sweating in the gym, and quickly realized that this was not for him - a month of training was enough. All season long, Luka was begging for a substitution by the 60th minute, but he learned to play against the Bosnian defenders. He learned to win in speed, to dodge his opponent before he sticks out his knee. “Whoever plays in the Bosnian championship can play anywhere,” Modric later realized. At the end of the season Zdravko Mamic personally asked Luka to return to the Croatian championship, and two years later, when Modric made his debut in the Croatian national team, he gave him a 10-year contract.

At Zadar, Modric has a second father - the former boss of the Zadar academy. Tomislav Bašić. In his house there was a framed photo of him and his son. Domagoj, also an academy coach, and Luka stand in an embrace. Basic was kind to his young men, especially during the war: the training field was surrounded by hills from which it was convenient to throw grenades, and they often had to hide in cover right during training. “Football was our escape from reality,” said Basic. But he took special care of Luka Modric.

When Luka was 10, Tomislav organized for him and Mario Grgurevic watching in Hajduk, which Modric liked as a child. The result is predictable - Luka was the shortest in the team of his age, on the third day he was called too weak and sent home. Modric was offended, he wanted to never play football again, Basic convinced him. Six months later, Zadar met with Hajduk at a tournament in Italy, little weak Luka carried the whole team, but the coaches didn’t even look in Modric’s direction. A few years later, after Modric’s debut in the Croatian Championship, the head of the youth section of Hajduk Marin Kovacic gave a thrashing to people who missed Luka’s talent.

Maria Chutuk- it was he who sent Modric home - he made excuses: “They just didn’t want to go through a trial for a month or two!”

Five years later, Tomislav Bašić decided: since it was not possible to place Modric in his favorite team, it was worth sending him to competitors. He was familiar with Zdravko Mamic, an odious careerist who had just come to power at Dinamo Zagreb after meeting the coach Miroslav Blazhevich, and now he is trying to influence the entire Croatian football (he is succeeding). Basic offered Mamic two of his stars, which for some reason not a single Dynamo scout took a pencil on, but Zdravko agreed to take both without looking. This story repeats throughout Modric’s life: Luka dreamed of playing for Hajduk as a child, as an adult he dreamed of playing for Chelsea and Barcelona, ​​and then fell into the hands of direct competitors.

In February 2014, Basic died and asked for time off from Carlo Anchelotti, flew to the funeral, and three days later dedicated the victory over Schalke to him.

“He may not push everyone, but he has quick feet, body balance and field vision,” Zlatko Kranjcar I knew everything about Luka Modric back in the spring of 2006, after the first friendly game for the Croatian national team with Argentina. Modric's fate is inextricably linked with the Kranjcar family: his father, Zlatko, first released him for Croatia, his son, Niko, gave way to him. “The whole country thought: how can Modric make Kranjcar? Now it’s unclear how Kranjcar can make Modric,” said Otto Barich, former coach of the Croatian national team, five years after that match. By that time, Niko drove up to Luka at Tottenham, sat down on the bench and rolled down the career ladder - it got to the point that he went to the second American League under the threat of divorce from his wife.

As a child, Luka dreamed of playing for Hajduk, and as an adult he dreamed of playing for Chelsea and Barcelona, ​​and then fell into the hands of direct competitors.

Slaven Bilic made Modric a key player in the national team, a year after his debut, Luka came to Israel for another match, after the game he met with Giovanni Roso who made a name for himself in the Promised Land, Roso led Luka, Dario Srna and other players for dinner in a restaurant. We ate, went to the bar for wine, the guards did not let Modric into the bar: “Sorry, alcohol is prohibited for children under 16.”

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A year later there was the European Championship, where I found my first showcase and was included in the symbolic team of the tournament. Arsene Wenger foaming at the mouth, he insisted that Modric was too fragile for England, and Croatia suffered the most offensive defeat in history. Another eight years later - the captain's armband in the national team, a lot of hopes, a victory over Spain, when Modric suggested Daniel Subasic where the penalty kick will be taken Sergio Ramos, defeat in the 1/8 finals and Luka’s sincere repentance to the fans, for which Modric was respected even more in his homeland.

Returning home after the matches, Luka does not fall asleep, but ends up in his analytical laboratory. Even before Zinedine Zidane will conduct a tactical analysis of the Real Madrid match, Modric analyzes the mistakes together with his wife Vanya. For the sixth season, instead of movies at night, they turn on video recordings of matches, where Vanya carefully monitors Luka’s mistakes. The main one, in the girl’s opinion, is Modric’s desire to play more for the team: “Luka analyzes his every move, but does not notice that he needs to shoot more on goal. But he stubbornly continues to play on his partners when he can hit himself.”

Luka Modric's personal analyst is also his agent. Luka and Vanya first met in 2004 in the Zagreb cafe "Plains" to discuss Modric's future at Dinamo. We arranged a meeting over the phone and chatted for three hours. At first they just talked about work, and a year later Vanya thought: Luka is simple, modest, self-confident, ambitious, and you would think that he is incredibly meticulous about every matter. “He pays as much attention as it takes to understand that someone loves you,” says Vanja Modric.

In 2010, Luka and Vanya had a wedding, and he was a witness at it Vedran Corluka, who played with Modric at Inter, Dynamo and Tottenham, had a son a couple of weeks later Ivano, three years later - daughter Ema. And in March last year, a boy named Modric was born in Spain, who had nothing to do with the Croatian couple - that’s what the Granada player named his son. Javi Marquez: “My wife really likes Modric. It’s funny for me, but let them compare my son with such a great player and person.”

At the beginning of 2013, he won the first individual award in Real Madrid - the local “golden toilet” for the worst newcomer of 2012 from Marca. Jose Mourinho tried to adapt Modric to his tactics and style, but it turned out like with Henrikh Mkhitaryan at Manchester United - they played Xabi Alonso And Khedira, and Modric was content with rare chances. When I came out, I was the strongest. In November, Real beat Athletic 5:1, Modric made a 50-meter diagonal Karim Benzema, which gave birth to one of the goals, and three months later, scored the most important goal in the Champions League. Just in time for United.

And then Carlo Ancelotti came to Spain, made Luka a key player in the Madrid midfield, allowed him to move throughout the central zone and turned Modric into Andrea Pirlo. Real Madrid won two Champions Leagues in three years with Modric, and last fall Modric extended his contract until 2020 and said that he dreams of ending his career in Madrid.

Real Madrid won two Champions Leagues in three years with Modric, and last fall Modric extended his contract until 2020 and said that he dreams of ending his career in Madrid.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, unskilled workers are not highly valued; those who score a lot, like Cristiano or Gareth Bale, but Modric managed to make the most demanding fans in the world fall in love with him. He gets a standing ovation without even having the ball - in the winter Clasico, Luca personally played on Leo Messi, covered the Argentine in the depths of the field and did not allow him to breathe freely. Casemiro eats up all the selection, Toni Kroos distributes 90% accurate passes, and Modric manages to complete all possible tasks, stand out in key matches and train his shot with Zinedine Zidane an hour after class. “The truth is that I’m already 31, but I feel like I’m 27. The boundaries have been pushed aside, I feel much better than before,” says. Real Madrid's most unsung hero and a man who prefers to remain silent.

Luka Modric has a ready answer to the question of how he achieved such heights.

– Throughout my Croatian career people have been pestering me, saying that I’m not good enough, that I’m small and weak. But you must understand the essence of the Croatian people. After the war we became stronger, tougher. It's hard to break us now. We have the determination to achieve the success we desire.

Luka Modric and his wife Vanja Bosnic have been together since 2006, they already have three children, and the family has followed the Croatian midfielder to both London and Madrid. However, they met precisely through football. Bosnich was initially Modric's agent, managing his affairs, and all their meetings were related exclusively to work. But gradually Modric realized that this was not just an agent, but a girl with whom he wanted to connect his life outside the football field.

19. Silvia Klose, wife of Miroslav Klose

Outside of the football field, cameras and microphones, Miroslav Klose prefers to communicate in Polish - Poland remains his native country. It is not surprising that the wife of the Lazio striker is from Poland. Miroslav's chosen one Sylvia had known Klose for a long time, from a young age, and decided to tie the knot with Miro in 2003. The couple has two twin sons, Luan and Noah.

18. Georgina Dorsett, girlfriend of Tom Cleverley

The friend of the Aston Villa midfielder became famous in England for her work on television - she was both an actress and the host of one of the television shows on British TV. Dorsett is not giving up on the modeling business either. She has been with Cleverly since 2012 and is five years older than the player, who is currently on loan from Manchester United. But the age difference does not prevent the couple from living happily and raising their son.

17. Bruna Marchesini, Neymar's girlfriend

The Barcelona striker and his lover constantly break up and get back together, but they have been dating for about three years. In her homeland, Marchesini is considered one of the most promising actresses in Brazil. With Neymar's departure to Catalonia, the couple's relationship was tested; Neymar and Bruna even had to give up living together, but they are not thinking of leaving yet.

16. Ann-Katrin Brömmel, friend of Mario Götze

Anne-Katrin Brömmel became famous all over the world a long time ago when, as a teenager, she danced and hugged the Tokio Hotel guitarist. Later, she made her way into the modeling business, while playing the piano and recording her own music. Anne-Katrin is not one of those who wanted to marry a money wallet; she has her own ambitious goals. She has been with Mario Götze for three years.

15. Edurne Garcia Almagro, girlfriend of David de Gea

Like many representatives of our list, David de Gea found himself a companion in show business. Edurne Garcia manages to do everything - he hosts a TV show, sings, and regularly appears in photo shoots for men's magazines. The girl is five years older than the Manchester United goalkeeper, but this does not greatly prevent the couple from harmoniously complementing each other and constantly appearing in public together. True, de Gea and Garcia are not yet thinking about family life.

14. Alex Curran, wife of Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard's homemaker, model Alex Curran, has made a name for herself in the modeling business - but that's not all. She writes a column for the Daily Mirror, teaching people how to shop. Back in 2007, she published her perfume, which was in considerable demand. Gerrard and Curran have been together for a long time, they already have three children, and they dote on each other.

13. Lisa Müller, wife of Thomas Müller

Lisa Müller has been with Bayern midfielder Thomas since 2007, and two years after they met, the couple got married. And he lives happily ever after, even giving joint interviews from time to time. Lisa, who is engaged in modeling, helped her husband find an interest in equestrian sports, and according to some German publications, she even directly influenced Thomas’ progress in Bayern.

12. Sylvia Meis, ex-wife of Raphael van der Vaart

Now Sylvia Meis is no longer together with Hamburg midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, but as soon as the TV presenter and football player found each other, they immediately became the most scandalous couple in Holland. Constant gossip about their lives, a wedding broadcast live on Dutch television - the couple could be called bohemian. But at the very beginning of 2013, the joint agent of van der Vaart and Meis announced the couple’s divorce.

11. Michela Quattrociocche, wife of Alberto Aquilani

Quattrociocche earns his living by acting. She completed courses in diction and acting, acted for magazines, but never became a model due to her height - but she proved herself in films, playing several memorable roles. Quattrociocche has been married to Fiorentina midfielder Alberto Aquilani since the summer of 2012, and the couple had their first child the year before.

To be continued.

War knocked on the door of the Modric family in 1991. Luka was only six years old when his family urgently packed their things and fled from the village of Zaton. Half a day before this, the grandfather of the future football player, also Luka, was hanged in the middle of the square. Stipe's father then went to war.

The family settled in what is now a resort and then war-torn Zadar. A broken down hotel in the city center became home for Luka and his family for five whole years. Shells fell on the city, machine gun fire was heard every now and then on the outskirts, but children need to grow up even in such an environment. And, of course, they just need something to play. Luka Modric chose football for himself.

According to the recollections of the President of FC Zadar Josip Bajlo, little Luka played ball wherever he could, but his favorite place was the parking lot. It was there that he had his first (and successful) tryout for a local club school. The parents barely had enough money for food, but they bought boots and a T-shirt for their son Stipe without question. There was just a problem with the shields - there was nowhere to get them, so my father had to cut them out of wood. By the way, almost all the other guys played in the same ones.

Modric during a game at Dinamo Zagreb, Getty Images

At the Zadar Academy, young Luka was taken under the wing of coach Tomislav Bašić. In the thin boy, he discovered talent in working with the ball and a great desire to learn. The coach was captivated by this, and soon he took Modric, as well as another local talent, Mario Grgurovic, to a tryout in Hajduk. Since childhood, Luka has been a fan of the club from Split, but this did not help at the trial - he was considered too small and physically weak, and was sent home on the third day of training. For the guy it was a collapse, and he even verbally planned to quit football. But, of course, he didn’t quit. And after another five years, the same Basic contacted his acquaintance - the then president of Dinamo Zagreb, Zdravko Mamic, who was gaining weight in football. The men talked and Modric and Grgurovich (he still plays in the Croatian quagmire) became Dynamo players without any scrutiny.

Is it any wonder that when Basic died in February 2014, Modric asked the Real Madrid bosses to take time off to personally attend the funeral...

Traitor

It so happened in Luka’s career that he always plays for competitors of the clubs he supported. As a child, he was a fan of Hajduk - he ended up at Dinamo Zagreb, later he liked Chelsea and Barcelona, ​​and had to play for Tottenham and Real Madrid. But that’s not why he became a traitor.

After moving to Dynamo, Modric had problems due to some frailty, but after two loans he matured and regularly appeared on the field. And a year later, the team could no longer be imagined without him - it was Luka who was responsible for the technique, creativity, and sharpness in the middle of the field. And, of course, he was closely watched.

For several years, Modric was examined under a microscope by Barcelona scouts, but while the Catalans were weighing the risks, the summer of 2008 came, and with it the European Championship, where Modric’s talent was seen not only by specialists, but by the whole of Europe. Arsene Wenger, who had lost his sense of good football players by that time, argued that Luka was too fragile for the Premier League, but Tottenham were not afraid and signed the young guy for 21 million euros. And this is where the fun begins.

The fact is that already in 2015, the Croatian prosecutor’s office suddenly discovered that, according to documents, Dynamo received only 10.5 million euros for Modric – that is, exactly half of the total amount. Mamic, the long-time godfather of Croatian football, was by then firmly under pressure, and there was only one testimony left to put him behind bars - the testimony of Modric himself. And he gave it.

The footballer said that Mamich simply presented him with a fait accompli, and the 10.5 million euros missing in the reporting were transferred to Luka’s account, from where the president’s brothers withdrew them. Of this amount, they gave 1.9 million euros to him, Modric, and took the rest for themselves. For Mamic, this actually meant 10 years in prison, but two years later, Luka suddenly abandoned his testimony. In an uncertain voice, he announced that he had signed an agreement on the division of money from the transfer when he moved to Dynamo. But the prosecutors didn't back down, so Modric even had to say that he does not remember the date of his debut for the national team. These words became an insult to thousands of fans.

Not only is Mamic one of the most hated people in the country, but the national team is something absolutely sacred for every Croatian. She's been playing to sold-out crowds for years wherever she plays, and yet her best player, the captain, doesn't remember the date of his debut. And how can you not remember? It was March 2006, a great game with Argentina (3:2), after which Luka finally secured his place in the World Cup squad. He just couldn't forget it.

They say that on that day, on the walls of the old hotel in Zadar, where the Modric family lived for five years, someone scrawled: “Whore Mamic, you will regret it.” Similar inscriptions appeared in other cities. Their authors were not at all embarrassed that the object of their threats was the five-time best football player in the country - they had their own truth. Just like him, by the way.

After moving from Dynamo to Tottenham, Modric underwent a transformation - from an attacking player, he turned into a defensive player, whose game combined creativity and selection in equal proportions. Harry Redknapp saw the Croatian's talent and gave him more and more authority every season. And he always returned the trust with work and progress in a variety of components.

The top clubs (sorry Spurs fans) could not help but notice this, and soon representatives of Real Madrid approached Tottenham. Spurs resisted with all their might, and Luka would later say that he didn’t want to leave just like that, but everything happened as it happened. Anyway, in the summer of 2012, Modric ended up at the Bernabeu, and this was the main transfer of his life.

The first season under the leadership of Jose Mourinho was crumpled. On the one hand, Seu Jose gave Luka a lot of playing time, on the other hand, there was no place for the Croatian in his playing system. As a result, just six months after the transfer, Modric received a very disappointing prize from Marca - he was recognized as the worst newcomer of the year in Example. It's hard to believe now, but in the poll his candidacy received more votes than Alex Song's option in Barcelona.

But Modric did not give up. Already in the second half of Mourinho’s season he played better than the first, and when Carlo Ancelotti came to Real, everything completely changed. It was the Italian who made the main decision in Modric's career, giving him the broadest powers in midfield. Luka set the vector for attacks and pressure, dictated the pace of the game, and the involvement of one or another flank player in the game depended on him. And in this role he was great.

With Ancelotti and Modric the playmaker, Real took the lead. After which Zidane took over the Cream - and you probably know this story. Three victories in the Champions League in a row, a triumph in La Liga and 9 trophies in two years - this team has earned its place in history. Like, of course, Modric, without whose smart passes, movement and goals it would not have been possible.

Now Luka is playing at the World Championships, and he’s playing great. He's about to turn 33, but his quick wit makes up for his waning speed. And leadership qualities make fans forget about mistakes made off the field.

After a phenomenal game with Argentina (3:0), Robert Prosinečki called Modric “the best football player in the history of Croatian football”, and Ivan Rakitic called him “an alien”. Of course, this is a confession. But also responsibility - Luka is clearly expected to drag Croatia along with him to repeat the success of the “golden generation” at the 98 World Cup. And he understands this.

“I live in a wonderful time, it makes me not relax for a second. People don't care about what happened yesterday; they demand results today. There is a lot of pressure here, but this pressure only forces me to become better,” says the midfielder himself.

There is no doubt that with such principles Modric will not just go out, but will give his all to fulfill the desires of his nation. This guy simply doesn’t know any other way.

Full name: Luka Modric

Height: 173 cm

Weight: 65 kg

Role: central midfielder (right winger, defensive player)

Club career of Luka Modric

A graduate of Dinamo Zagreb, he began playing football in sports schools in his hometown of Zadar. Despite the difficult financial situation in the family, Luka Modric always received the necessary help from his parents and managed to develop his talent. At the age of 16, Luka became interested in Dinamo Zagreb, the main club in the country. Having signed a youth contract with Dynamo, Modric went on loan to the Bosnian team Zrinjski. Here he managed to gain a foothold in the position of an attacking midfielder, played 22 matches and scored eight goals, becoming the best player in the Bosnian Premier League at the age of 18.

The following season he returned to Croatia, but was again loaned, this time to the local club Inter. Having played 18 matches here, Modric scored four goals and received the “Football Hope of Croatia” award, which was previously awarded to such famous football players as Ivica Olic, Krancan, Vucevic, etc. In 2005, Modric finished his travels and returned to his native Dynamo. In the three seasons that followed, he was a key player in the Zagreb team, playing 112 matches and scoring 31 goals. In 2007, the Croatian team won the national championship and the Croatian Cup, and Luka himself was awarded the title of the best football player in Croatia.

Moving to England

At the same time, Dynamo performed well in the UEFA Cup, managing to reach the quarterfinals in 2008. Modric's bright play attracted the interest of a number of European giants. In April 2008, shortly after winning the round of 16 against Anderlecht, Modric announced he had signed a preliminary agreement with English club Tottenham Hotspur. Before the end of the season, the player underwent a medical examination and received a work permit in the UK, after which he was officially introduced to the Spurs fans.

The London club paid 16.5 million pounds for Modric and the Croatian took a worthy second place in the list of the most expensive transfers. The player's debut took place during the club's pre-season training camp. Tottenham met with Norwich, Modric came out from the first minutes and managed to participate in two scoring combinations for his team, and the match ended with a score of 5-1. The first official match was played on August 16, Modric came out from the first minutes of the meeting against Middlesbrough, in which Spurs lost 1-2. The start of this season turned out to be worse than ever for Tottenham, the team could not get along and huddled at the bottom of the standings. The main stream of criticism was directed towards Modric and Bento, who should have carried the team with them, but instead played from the bench.

Modric and Harry Redknapp

Of course, the decisive role in revealing Modric's talent was played by English specialist Harry Redknapp, who took over the team in November instead of the fired Juande Ramos. Tottenham's game gradually began to improve, Modric returned to the center of midfield, and Darren Bent, along with Roman Pavlyuchenko, reached their optimal level of performance. Modric's first goal happened in December, during the UEFA Cup, Spurs went to visit Spartak and managed to take an important 2-2 draw. A couple of days later, Luka distinguished himself in a match against Newcastle, but his team failed to win that match.

Modric continued to progress, in the 2010/11 season he helped his team take fourth place and qualify for the Champions League for only the third time in its history. In September 2010, he extended his agreement with the London team until 2016, achieving a double increase in pay. At this time, the star of Gareth Bale begins to emerge in Tottenham, who, together with the Croatian, became a key player for Tottenham during the campaign in the Champions League. In April 2011, Modric provided an assist for Bale in a match against Arsenal and helped his team achieve a historic victory over their arch-rival (1-2).

In his final season at Tottenham, he scored 6 goals and provided 8 assists in the Premier League, and also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League with the club, beating Milan, Inter, Werder Bremen and Twente along the way " In the quarter finals, Tottenham met with Real Madrid, Modric's future employer. “Creamy” left no chance for the debutant of the tournament, scoring five unanswered goals on the sum of two matches.

"Real Madrid"

Even before the start of the European Championship, the Madrid club expressed a desire to sign Luka Modric. The saga with his transfer lasted until August 27, until the parties agreed on an amount of 33 million pounds. The Croatian midfielder has become Tottenham's biggest sale. The player's debut at the Santiago Bernabeu took place just three days later, when he came on as a substitute in the match against Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup. Real managed to win and take the coveted trophy. At first, Modric only occasionally appeared in the Real team, scoring his first goal only in mid-November. However, over time, the Croatian became the Londoners' main performer in midfield, responsible for the team's creativity.

In the 2013/14 season, he played without substitutions throughout the first eight rounds, notching two assists. On October 5, 2013, he provided an assist to Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the winning goal in an away match against Levante (2-3). In December, the Croatian opened the scoring with his goals in the Champions League, hitting the goal of Copenhagen. On April 29, he made an assist for Sergio Ramos in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern. In the final match against Atlético, he scored an assist for the author of the winning goal, Gareth Bale. He started the 2014/15 season with assists in meetings with Sociedad and Basel.

International career of Luka Modric

He made his debut as part of the Croatian squad on March 1, 2006 in a friendly match against Argentina. He went with the national team to the 2008 European Championship, where he became one of the key players of his team and was included in the symbolic team of the tournament. In the first match of the group stage, Modric scored a penalty in the 3rd minute of the match, which ultimately brought victory to the Croats. In the second meeting against Germany, he provided two assists to Srna and Olic, who brought the Croatians a sensational victory over the tournament favorite. In the 1/8 finals, the Croatian national team lost to Turkey in a penalty shootout, and Modric, who kicked first, failed to convert his attempt.

The Croats did not make it to the 2010 World Cup, losing to England in the play-offs. At the 2014 world championship, the Croatian team lost to the Brazilians in the first match, then defeated the Cameroon team (4-0), but after losing the third match to the Mexicans they left the tournament. Luka Modric took part in all matches of his team, giving an assist to Perisic, who scored the prestige goal in the 87th minute, in the mayfly against Mexico.

Achievements of Luka Modric

Dinamo Zagreb:

• Croatian Champion 2006, 2007
• Croatian Super Cup winner: 2006
• Croatian Cup winner: 2007

"Real Madrid":

• UEFA Champions League winner: 2014
• UEFA Super Cup winner: 2014
• Winner of the Spanish Super Cup 2012
• Winner of the Spanish Cup 2014

Individual achievements:

• Hope of the Year in Croatia 2004
• Best player in the Bosnian Premier League 2003
• Best Croatian Footballer 2013, 2014