AC Milan are set to enjoy a second season of Luka Modric, but it will be very different from his debut campaign in Italy.
La Gazzetta dello Sport report that Modric is currently on vacation, recovering from the disappointment of Croatia’s elimination from the World Cup at the hand of Portugal. Funnily enough, Rafael Leao and Goncalo Ramos linked up to score the heartbreaking goal.
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Modric knows that chapter is closed, as he won’t be wearing the Croatia shirt again. Now he has to make a decision about Milan, and everything points to him staying in Milan for another year. Gerry Cardinale invited him to remain, Ruben Amorim called him (twice), and the signs are good.
There are plenty of alternative options such as a return to Real Madrid to begin a coaching career, but he’s happy at Milan. The fans love him, he’s eager to regain Champions League football, and the role has already been drawn up.
Modric’s encore
Amorim spoke about Modric in his first press conference as Milan’s new head coach: “He’s a player we want to keep, I’ve spoken to him twice. If necessary, I can go and talk to him again, I never tire. He’s incredible, he’s a key figure for us.”
And then, more specifically: “I’m not telling you he’ll play every game, but we want to count on Modric for next season. The board has spoken to him, I’ve spoken to him: I think I’ll have him back in a few days, now he needs to rest after the World Cup.”
Luka will have a different role than in his first season, in both senses of the word. His role on the pitch: no longer a regista like under Allegri, but a midfielder in a two-man midfield, like with Croatia. And his role in the team: no longer a guaranteed starter, but a champion to be managed.
Starting in August, Milan will play in the league and the Europa League, at least eight more games than last season, with a lot of travel, many weeks of Sunday-Thursday-Sunday. At 41 (which Modric turns on September 9) you can’t be on the pitch all the time.
The solution, as Amorim also points out, is consistency. Luka will play the important matches, either as a starter or as a quality substitute for the final half hour, and will take some rest. At the beginning of October, there won’t be any problems: the international break will give him three weeks off.
The 2024-25 season – Modric’s last at Real Madrid – provides a clue. Modric started 17 LaLiga matches and came off the bench 18 times. In the Champions League, he started seven times and came on as a substitute seven times.
This was a measure of consistency, partly due to the (extremely high) quality of Real Madrid’s squad. With Valverde, Bellingham, Arda Guler, Camavinga, Tchouameni, and Dani Ceballos, it was normal for a 39-year-old Modric to be left out of some matches.
Among those seven starts, however, were the second leg of the round of 16 against Atlético Madrid (a derby) and the first leg of the quarter-finals against Arsenal: key nights. In the league, he came on twice in the second half against Barcelona. Against Atlético, he started in the first but not the second game.
At Milan, things could go the same way, perhaps with a few more games (even though Luka is two years older, the competition isn’t as high) and much will depend on the chemistry with the new coach. Amorim demands a lot from his two midfielders, but Modric has always given it, and won’t stop.
