Modric’s cruel farewell

Dortmund (Germany) Maybe earlier than expected, maybe more painful than expected, maybe more bitter than expected. But in the end, the painful draw that Italy saved meant that Luka Modric said goodbye to the 2024 European Championship and also to the major tournaments of the Croatian team, where he was the undisputed leader, the king of the golden generation, which was just one step away. Far from the eternal glory of 2018, but touching the sky, will leave a beautiful 6 years in the memory of all fans.

It seems that this moment will never come, even if he predicts it at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The virtue of Luka Modric, always defiant in the face of the inexorable passage of time, is the close enemy of his enemies. In this sense, his logic allows him to continue dreaming of the infinity of his football, which seems to have reached its twilight years in the great national team championships.

The bitter farewell also came in the cruelest way possible. Instead of smiling, he shed tears after a game that was a rollercoaster of emotions. He went from villain to hero in an instant. He missed a penalty but scored 32 seconds later to make it 1-0 and bring his country one step closer to the last 16, far below the level in recent years. A goal that could not have belonged to anyone else. The story was supposed to have a happy ending, but Zaccani’s goal in the 98th minute ruined the game. “I don’t know where the referee got the eight-minute penalty,” he said in complete resignation at the end of the game. .

He was praised by the media, which saw an outcome that was not a mathematical one at the time, but a practical verdict.

“Yes, this could be my last game at the World Cup, but I can’t say anything,” he warned as his side finished third at the 2022 World Cup, with Croatia once again among the world’s powers.

“I am very happy with my whole career in Croatia. It was very important to win two medals, my dream was to win a trophy, but it hasn’t happened yet, but I am happy and we have confirmed that Croatia has a great team and a very good future ahead of it, we have to continue. In the future we will see what happens. At least I want to continue until the Nations League,” he added.

He said yes. Not only that, he won a third medal wearing the red and white checkered shirt by finishing second in the Nations League, a trophy he touched in the final against Spain and defined it on penalties, while ending the red team’s 11-year drought and keeping Croatia away from another title.

Luka Modric has had a long road with Croatia, always thankless in decisive moments, especially in the European Cup where he is rarely considered, his highest achievement being the quarter-finals in 2008, when there was no round of 16. Absolutely 178 times and another 22 in lower levels, distributed in 11 times with U21 and another 11 with U19, he has won much more often than he lost, almost three times, something that some legends (a few) can do in this sport.

Since his debut in a friendly match against Argentina at the gate of the German World Cup in March 2006, when he was 20 years old, the team has achieved a record of 96 wins, 47 draws and 39 losses. He participated in the World Cup and played in two group matches. Each only took a few minutes. He also participated in the 2008 European Cup, where Croatia achieved the best result but lost to Turkey in the quarter-finals. At the age of 22, he was already a stable starter.

He failed to qualify his country for the 2010 World Cup, but he did qualify for Euro 2012, where they lost in the group stage. They qualified via the play-offs at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, also finishing in the group. At Euro 2018 in France, they reached the round of 16, losing to Spain, and the golden generation began.

He arrived in Russia without a poster, thanks again to a goal in the play-off against Greece, but after three extra time he reached the final against eventual world champions France. In the group stage, he scored a brilliant goal for Argentina in a historic victory over the then world runners-up (3-0). In 2021, he slipped again in the Euro against Spain, but once again found consolation at the World Cup.

In 2022, he led his team to the semi-finals, where Argentina avenged their 2018 loss to the eventual champions with a 3-0 victory. The 2023 Nations League was the closest he came to a title-winning campaign. He scored in the penalty shootout, but mistakes from Mayer and Petkovic hampered his success, and they lost again in this European Championship against Unai Simon.

His last wonderful appearance, his last wonderful dance with Croatia, the remote possibility that he will play in the European Championship or the World Cup again, was dramatic. He spent only a few minutes at Real Madrid, but he was a reference. An undisputed starter under Dalic, he could not stop Spain or prevent Albania from finally equalizing. Against Italy, it was the last chance, he took it, he seized it. But the edge of the cliff was too precarious.

His international career is a perfect circle. His first competitive minute was at the old Max Morlok Stadion in Nuremberg, Germany, and it is also where he will now finish his match, although he is about 270 kilometers away at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. His journey began and ended in Germany. This is Modric’s cruel farewell to the European Championship with Croatia. JS