Paris Saint-Germain crushed Real Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday. Two catastrophic errors by Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rudiger allowed PSG to take a 2-0 lead in just nine minutes, which conditioned the match and Xabi Alonso’s game plan. It was a slap in the face that marked the worst possible farewell for Luka Modric and Lucas Vázquez, who played their last game in the white shirt. Modrić came on in the 64th minute and Lucas Vázquez in the 83rd. At the end of the game, despite the defeat, their teammates went to hug them, bringing an end to a golden era for Real Madrid in the 21st century.
Last and disastrous game
Luka Modric and Lucas Vázquez went through the World Cup knowing that every game could be their last in the white shirt. They hoped that the last one would be on Sunday with a new title under their belts, but fate decided that it would be in the semifinals with a painful defeat that leaves a bittersweet taste in their farewell.
The Croatian, as we said, came on in the 64th minute for Bellingham. He said goodbye to Madrid having played in every game of the World Cup and leaving everyone wondering whether it was a mistake not to have signed him for another year, given how much he could be needed. The full-back played a minimal role throughout the tournament, but Xabi Alonso wanted him to say goodbye to the club playing, and he brought him on in the 83rd minute for Güler.
Two legends
The defeat against PSG does not tarnish the great careers of both players at Real Madrid. The Croatian arrived at the club in 2012 as a signing that did not initially generate much excitement among Madrid fans, but he leaves as a legend, the player with the most titles won by the club (28), a total of 43 goals scored and 95 assists.
As for Lucas Vázquez, he returned to Real Madrid after coming up through the youth ranks in the 2015-2016 season following a great year at Espanyol, leaving behind 23 trophies, 38 goals, and 73 assists.
The future of Modric and Lucas Vázquez
Luka Modrid’s great talent has allowed him to easily find a destination, despite being almost 40 years old, at one of Europe’s biggest clubs. There has been speculation for weeks about his signing for Milan, something that was confirmed on Monday by his new coach Massimiliano Allegri in his first press conference. “We are waiting for Luka Modric. He will arrive in August. He is an important, extraordinary player. He needs no introduction,” said the coach.
As for Lucas Vázquez, his future is still undecided, at least officially. The player said that once the Club World Cup was over, it would be time to think about it. In recent days, there has been speculation about an offer from Espanyol for his return, but everything points to the Galician preferring to move abroad. “He is considering an offer from Qatar. There he can earn double or triple what he has earned in the best year of his sporting career,” said Eduardo Inda on El Chiringuito. There has always been speculation that he would follow in the footsteps of teammates such as Benzema, Nacho, and Joselu by heading to Arab football to end his career there for a good chunk of money.