Luka Modric is entering the final stage of his career with Real Madrid and has the chance to say goodbye with one last title, a title that no one has yet won, and which could be the crowning glory for the club legend. Everything suggests that Xabi Alonso will give him the spotlight so that his final chapter can be part of Real Madrid’s history.
Xabi Alonso, delighted with Modric
They were teammates when the Tolosa-born coach was still playing for Real Madrid, and the new coach said at his press conference on the day of his presentation that he could not be objective about the Croatian player when asked about his future. The truth is that the coach loves the Croatian, but he has been even more impressed by the level he has shown in training since his arrival, which is unusual for a veteran who already knows that he will not continue beyond the World Cup, but who wants to end his cycle by showing that he could continue for another year with the team.
The Croatian is not taking this championship and his last month at Real Madrid as a formality; he wants to leave the club as a protagonist and lift the title in July. And he is giving Xabi Alonso plenty of reasons to count on him when he sees fit, even to lead the midfield from the start.
The plan with Modric
Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid continue to comb the market in search of a midfielder, who will presumably arrive after the Club World Cup, but until that day, they have few alternatives in midfield with the quality and composure of the Croatian. Xabi Alonso’s idea is for Modric to play an important role in the championship, and this role could be more ambitious than many imagine, especially in the first phase of the World Cup, where the Whites should be able to prevail with relative ease.
Initially, there is talk of a midfield made up of four players, with Tchouameni, Valverde, Bellingham, and Ceballos or Güler, but little is being said about Luka Modric, who could be one of the surprises in the starting eleven against Al Hilal on Wednesday. Although it would be logical to think that the new coach will use the players he will have at his disposal next season, the truth is that duty calls, and duty is to field the best eleven to get off to a good start on the road to winning the title. The Croatian’s quality of play, his clarity in moving around the pitch and creating movement and play among his teammates are factors that add to the likelihood that the Basque coach will start with him.
The rival invites Modric to start from the beginning, and it is to be expected that Xabi Alonso will make more unexpected changes to the starting eleven for several reasons. The first is that he has hardly had time to prepare for the championship, and it is possible that he may opt for players who have been under his command since day one.
Xabi Alonso wants controlled football without giving up running, but the ball must take center stage in this new era at Real Madrid, and no one better than Luka Modric to control it in midfield. The Croatian is in his final season at Real Madrid and is giving his all to be a key player, and Xabi Alonso is delighted with him and loves his football.