Ruben Amorim has sought to clear up any confusion regarding how Luka Modric will be used after his AC Milan renewal.
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The news became official last week that Modric had put pen to paper on a new one-year deal, which will see him return for a second season at San Siro. Despite his attachment to the club this was not always a given, especially after Massimiliano Allegri and Igli Tare’s exits.
The discussion then turned to what kind of role Modric will have in Amorim’s system, both in terms of his position and his work load. Given the Croatian – who has just finished a fifth World Cup – will turn 41 during the campaign, he cannot start as many games as he did last season.
During his press conference on Tuesday to mark the arrival of the team in Perth, Amorim was asked by one of the journalists present what the plans are regarding Modric, and his answer was a detailed one.
How big is Luka Modric’s renewal? When will he arrive?
“Some players returning from the World Cup will be arriving here in Perth. It’s hard to say whether Modric will play: the idea is for him to play friendlies here, but you never know.
“When a new player arrives, we have to evaluate every situation. As I said, the main goal is to prepare for the first match of the season, but of course we want to present our best players here so everyone can see them and prepare our team.
“So, if I had to answer you, the idea is for Luka to play, but we’ll have to check in the end. How many more years will he play? It depends on the player’s desire. From what I saw last season, he can still play at a very high level. He did very well, not only during the season, but also at the World Cup.
“I think we need experience. As you can see, we’re bringing in a lot of young players, and for a young player to be successful, we also need to surround him with experienced players. That’s the main goal.
“It’s not just about the quality that Modric and the other players will bring to the team, but I want a team that includes young players, because that’s really important, not only for our club, but also for For example, for the national team.
“It’s really important, and we’ve made a great effort to keep Luka in our squad. I think he’s really happy. And we’re talking about Milan: I think anyone in the world wants to play for a club like ours, with our history. Now we have to take a step forward, play better, and play well to reach a different level.”
How will Modric help the team?
“He has the experience and quality. Sometimes it’s not how fast you run that matters, but how fast you think. And he’s really good at that. He’ll help our players, he’ll help our team. We want to base our game on ball possession.
“If there’s anyone in the world who can really help with possession, it’s Luka. But it’s not just about Luka. I know there’s a lot of interest in Luka Modrić, but we have top-class players. We have young players with enormous potential, so I’m really excited for next season.”