‘End of an era’ – Modric plays last game for Real Madrid

Luka Modric has left Real Madrid, but it’s over.

The 39-year-old Croat’s final game for Real is 597 appearances, 28 victories, and 13 years.

And Modric’s career for the Spanish giants will never be forgotten, despite the club’s thrashing by Paris St-Germain on Wednesday in the semi-final of the World Cup that ended in an unforgettable finale.

Since joining Real from Spurs in 2012, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner has won six Champions Leagues and four domestic titles.

“The moment has arrived,” the statement read. When I announced his exit, Modric said on Instagram, “Everything has a beginning and an end, and that’s football.”

He said, “I arrived in 2012 with the ambition to wear the jersey of the best team in the world and the desire to achieve great things,” but he couldn’t have imagined what would come next.

“Playing for Real Madrid altered both my personality and football career.

I’m proud to have participated in one of history’s best clubs’ most prosperous eras.

As Real were defeated by Barcelona to win the title in 34 appearances in the Spanish top flight this season, Modric, who will play for AC Milan next season, scored two goals and added six assists.

He also appeared in every game for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals after falling to Arsenal 5-1 on aggregate.

With 597 appearances, 43 goals, and 95 assists, Modric will leave Real as its most decorated player.

After his departure was made public in June, club president Florentino Perez declared that Modric would forever be remembered in the hearts of all Madrid fans as a special and exceptional footballer who had always embodied the Real Madrid values.

His football has won Madridismo and fans all over the world for their imaginations. His legacy will endure indefinitely.

In his final season, Modric led Real to two titles and won 28 of them, making Nacho Fernandez the club’s most successful player.

In his 13 seasons at Real, he has won six Champions League titles, five European Super Cups, four La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey victories, and five Spanish Super Cups.

Real won the Ballon d’Or for the first time since 2007 after leading Real to victories over Liverpool and Croatia in the same year.

He is also the team’s oldest goalscorer and the oldest player to have scored in a 2-1 victory over Valencia, surpassing Ferenc Puskas’ mark at the age of 39 years and 116 days.

Modric, who replaces Koke and Oscar de Marcos of Atletico Madrid as the longest-serving player in the Spanish top flight, is also currently the third-longest-serving player in the standings.

Modric has been playing less than he has during his Real Madrid career, but he has the potential to have an impact because he attracts the team.

Although he may have felt like he was being useful at times, football is now moving in a different direction; for instance, you need to cover a lot of ground. Look at Pedri, who runs more runs than anyone else and is the most successful possession retriever in Barcelona. Modric is no longer able to do that.

Real had doubts, but he was the one who had been pushing for him to stay put. They believed there was no end to the world after reading the room, listening to the fans, and the player. However, he had already been prepared to leave.

Modric has, however, been a top-notch professional.

When Carlo Ancelotti and Toni Kroos realized they were going to change things, the club had chosen to use Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde, and Eduardo Camavinga to play a more dynamic and physical midfield.

Kroos and Modric both managed to turn things around and became a significant member of the team.

His circumstances have made him a little uneasy over the past few years. He was unsure of his position. He wished he could play 90 more minutes. He had a terrible experience, but this season, he has grown to appreciate his role and led them.

The club will have made this choice in the end, though. Xabi Alonso would have agreed, but first of all, it’s a club decision. Alonso’s team plays in a way that requires a lot of work, which he cannot do for Modric.

Additionally, it evokes the end of a time.