VIDEO | Luka Modric's BEST Goals with Real Madrid
The Croatian wizard was the hero against Sevilla with a masterpiece, but it's not the only one he has delivered wearing the white shirt. Enjoy them here.
Luka Modric faces what could be his last season at Real Madrid. At 38 years old, about to turn 39, his contract expires at the end of the season. He has lost the prominence of yesteryears, ranking as the fifteenth player in the squad in terms of minutes played, but, as seen on Sunday against Sevilla, he continues to contribute and excel in a particular role.
His coach, Italian Carlo Ancelotti, treats him differently. If he's not sure Modric will play, he doesn't warm up. It's a special arrangement for a special player, as revealed in a press conference.
On Sunday, he did warm up on the sidelines, with the score at 0-0 against Sevilla. He entered the field and in 6 minutes scored the winning goal with a great shot near the post. And in the celebration, on the field and in the locker room, there were signs of farewell, although there are still three months until Real Madrid's last game of the season.
German player Antonio Rüdiger lifted him on his shoulder, and Modric shouted with joy, almost angrily, towards the crowd. It was a goal that served as a statement after returning to the bench following 86 minutes played in the previous draw against Rayo Vallecano.
VIDEO | Modric's AMAZING goals with Real Madrid
Luka Modric, an influential veteran
Modric has only started in 16 out of 29 games he has played. According to BeSoccer Pro, this makes him the 38-year-old player with the most games played in the top five leagues, alongside Brazilian Thiago Silva, this season.
Playing at 38 or older in one of the top five leagues is rare, with only nine players meeting this criterion this season. Thiago Silva and Luka Modric, along with Dante, Raúl Albiol, Jesús Navas, Ashley Young, James Milner, Makoto Hasebe, and Radamel Falcao, make up the list of veteran players still competing at the highest level.
However, although Modric shares the highest number of games with Thiago Silva, he ranks fourth in terms of minutes played (1,606) among those nine veteran players, always behind defenders, as the other midfielder, James Milner, has only played 1,038 minutes with Brighton.
Furthermore, in advanced statistical metrics by BeSoccer Pro, Modric ranks third in terms of involvement in the game after Dante and Hasebe, who are defenders and have more frequent contact with the ball due to their role in ball distribution.
Modric and a diminished role at Real Madrid
The 2023-2024 season marks a decline in Modric's prominence, considering his age. He's assuming a more marginal role compared to his career trajectory.
Modric is the fifteenth most utilized player by Carlo Ancelotti (1,476 minutes), having just surpassed David Alaba (1,407), who is out with a long-term knee injury.
However, he continues to contribute. In the statistic per 90 minutes, only Kroos and Ceballos have more interventions in a match than Modric.
As he navigates what appears to be his last season with the Real Madrid jersey, he plays less but still contributes, as he did on Sunday against Sevilla with a crucial goal to help Real Madrid maintain their lead.
Furthermore, in the Real Madrid locker room, they still see him fit to continue playing football, whether with the club or embarking on another adventure after 14 years at Real Madrid. The decision to continue or not could be in his hands, similar to the case of German Toni Kroos, given his legendary status at the club.
