On August 27, 2012, Luka Modric was unveiled to the Actual Madrid followers after making the switch that was at all times his future.
It was clear from his performances for Tottenham and Croatia that Modric had the power to end up for an elite membership, one able to competing for Europe’s greatest honours.
He starred for his nation as they pipped England to qualification for Euro 2008 earlier than enjoying a key function in elevating Spurs to Champions League contenders for the primary time within the Premier League period.
Twenty-six years outdated and on the peak of his powers, the time was proper. Daniel Levy had fought tooth and nail to maintain him, dismissing Chelsea’s curiosity to finally permit the midfielder to maneuver overseas for a £30million payment.
The Tottenham chairman spoke of hoping the transfer would spark “a protracted and productive partnership” with the La Liga giants. Whether or not or not that feeling was mutual within the Spanish capital, Florentino Perez and Jose Mourinho had their man.
“I pushed laborious for Actual Madrid to signal Modric as a result of he had every little thing that we would have liked for the crew – approach, imaginative and prescient and good studying of the sport, high quality when making choices, quickness of thought, he can play the ball lengthy or brief, rating from exterior the realm, he knew the way to press, he’s clever along with his positioning and had depth. We wanted all of that at Actual Madrid,” Mourinho later recalled in an interview with Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti.
Every little thing seemed set for Madrid to dominate for years to come back.
Mourinho had knocked Barcelona off their perch, and in some type. Madrid gained the 2011-12 league title with a report 100 factors and 121 objectives scored. They have been arguably essentially the most brutally environment friendly counter-attacking aspect within the historical past of the sport.
An exhausted Pep Guardiola fled to New York to take a sabbatical. Barcelona had misplaced the coach that had outlined an period.
Spain gained Euro 2012, an unprecedented third main event in a row, with a squad that featured Los Blancos’ quintet Iker Casillas, Raul Albiol, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso.
Madrid have been a crew filled with winners and the elusive Decima – a tenth Champions League and first since 2002 – was now the first goal. Mourinho had already gained it with two totally different golf equipment.
No participant of nice significance had been bought, whereas Modric arrived alongside Michael Essien and Diego Lopez to bolster the squad. Promising starlets Alvaro Morata and Nacho Fernandez have been promoted from La Fabrica into the first-team set-up.
A Mourinho season
Every little thing began out to plan. Modric had been signed between the 2 legs of the Spanish Tremendous Cup towards Barcelona. He made his debut off the bench on the Bernabeu to assist see Madrid see out an away objectives victory (2-1 on the evening; 4-4 on combination) over their nice rivals.
The 2012-13 marketing campaign started with silverware, however the Tremendous Cup can be the one trophy they’d raise that season. It was a marketing campaign that Antonio Conte later known as “a Mourinho season” – one we’ve seen repeated at Chelsea and Manchester United.
Fractious, irritating, filled with in-fighting and paranoia and inevitably leading to little success on the pitch. In different phrases, a nightmare setting for any new signing to step into.
Mourinho’s males had taken simply 4 factors from their opening 4 video games. Barcelona took benefit and constructed an unassailable lead.
Seemingly invigorated by the appointment of Guardiola’s right-hand man Tito Vilanova, the Catalan membership dropped simply two factors after 19 video games, having overwhelmed each aspect within the division besides Madrid, with whom they’d drawn 2-2 at dwelling.
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Modric barely featured in that disastrously expensive begin. He signed after a draw with Valencia and defeat away to Getafe, made his first begin of their first league win of the season – 3-0 at dwelling to Granada – and was launched at half-time whereas Madrid have been behind in an eventual 1-0 defeat to Sevilla.
The Croatian was beginning to combine into the aspect as Madrid acquired their season again on observe, taking 22 factors from the subsequent 24 obtainable. The one match they didn’t win in that run was on the Camp Nou, the place they battled for a decent draw, although Modric was left as an unused substitute.
At the moment, he was most frequently performed because the No.10 in Mourinho’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, however he didn’t make the common aim contributions anticipated in such a job.
Within the season prior, Mesut Ozil registered a ridiculous tally of 28 assists and 7 objectives. That form of flashy affect is demanded at a membership famed for its Galacticos.
La Liga’s worst signing
By Christmas, Modric had mustered only one aim and one help and located himself on the fringes of Mourinho’s most popular XI.
Madrid went a stunning 18 factors behind league leaders Barca and blame needed to be discovered someplace.
It was at that time that Madrid-based sports activities every day Marca ran their notorious ‘worst signing of the season’ ballot. Modric topped the record – forward of Barcelona’s Alex Music, no much less – after gaining 32% of the vote.
“That is Actual Madrid. I perceive there may be nice stress for brand new signings to succeed right here,” Modric responded within the Croatian press.
“I’m not making excuses, I’m not that form of individual, however it is vitally difficult to adapt to life at an enormous membership like Madrid. I’ve had just a few good performances, if not in each sport, however I consider that I can show I’ve one thing to supply.”
Evidently, Modric has finished that. Was he underperforming or simply criminally misunderstood? It might be an understatement to say that point has vindicated the diminutive playmaker on the Bernabeu.
He’s gained 4 Champions Leagues and the Ballon d’Or and been their excellent participant on many a European evening, properly into his thirties.
Modric has by no means been a No.10. He’s not Ozil. He averages 5 assists and two objectives a season throughout his glittering decade in La Liga – numbers, for what it’s value, which might be extra akin to Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
But it took time for that to grow to be clear within the Spanish capital.
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The stark distinction between what Modric is and isn’t was demonstrated within the Champions League semi-finals in that debut season to overlook.
Used within the No.10 function within the first leg away in Dortmund, Madrid have been eviscerated 4-1. Their midfield couldn’t deal with the depth of the urgent from Jurgen Klopp’s aspect, and Robert Lewandowski scored all 4. Borussia Dortmund may need scored much more.
Madrid had completely lacked management in that first leg, but it surely returned when Mourinho made a tactical tweak on the Bernabeu. Modric moved deeper to accomplice Xabi Alonso on the base of midfield and bossed the sport.
He accomplished 70 passes, greater than twice as many as he had within the first leg and essentially the most of any participant on the pitch by a distance. Madrid gained 2-0, one aim away from an away-goals victory and a well-known remontada.
That was the midfielder that we’ve grow to be accustomed to seeing over the previous decade. He’s by no means seemed again.
Then got here Carlo Ancelotti, out went Ozil and Kaka. One other 12 months later Toni Kroos arrived and Casemiro started to interrupt via.
Madrid tailored away from the 4-2-3-1 and extra in direction of a 4-3-3, a system that’s allowed him to dominate video games in a job someplace between a deep-lying playmaker and a trequartista. Identical to Xavi and Iniesta.
Redemption
“I stated at the beginning of the season that he wouldn’t be at his finest till the tip of February,” Croatia boss Igor Stimac advised Marca in February 2013.
“It was to be anticipated when you think about that he needed to get into prime bodily form which, with out a pre-season, he didn’t have.”
His supervisor at membership stage was a lot much less involved about how he was getting on.
“He tailored very calmly to life at Actual Madrid,” Mourinho advised Sportske in 2021.
“Regardless of the entire day-to-day calls for, the stress from the general public. Luka is a really balanced individual and he’s positive of himself. He realized what Actual Madrid is about in a short time, understanding the sheer measurement of the membership and what their goals are.”
The sensation is mutual.
“I can solely communicate properly of Mourinho,” Modric advised Marca after their 12 months collectively. “He’s a implausible coach, it was a pleasure to work with him.
“He taught me the way to play extra aggressively. He at all times tries to get greater than one of the best out of each participant. When you give 100% he asks for 110%. When you don’t play to one of the best of your skill, somebody will come and take your house.”
This was a season by which the Portuguese coach was choosing battles left, proper and centre. He’d dropped membership captain Iker Casillas and reportedly fell out with key dressing room figures Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo and left on the finish of that trophyless marketing campaign, returning to Chelsea after burning his bridges on the Bernabeu.
But Mourinho has nothing however fond phrases for Modric, a participant who endured the worst 12 months of his Madrid profession below his wing and had been made the scapegoat within the Madrid press. He tried and didn’t convey him to Chelsea in 2014.
“When somebody could make historical past in what they do they grow to be immortal. Luka Modric has gained the Ballon d’Or, he’s past examine,” Mourinho gushed.
“Luka, in Spain, he performs for Actual Madrid and is a participant everybody respects,” he advised talkSPORT throughout Euro 2020.
“I’m so, so glad I used to be the one to take him to Madrid.”
By Nestor Watach
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