Luka Modrić
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Personal information
Full name:
Luka Modrić
Date of birth:
9 September 1985
Place of birth:
Zadar, SFR Yugoslavia
Height:
1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position:
Midfielder
Club information
Current team:
Real Madrid
Number:
19
Youth career
Zadar:
1996-2001
Dinamo Zagreb:
2002-2003
Senior career*
Dinamo Zagreb:
2003-2008
94x apps / 27x goals
→ Zrinjski (loan):
2003-2004
22x apps / 8x goals
→ Inter Zaprešić (loan):
2004-2005
18x apps / 4x goals
Tottenham Hotspur:
2008-2012
127x apps / 13x goals
Real Madrid:
2012-
67x apps / 4x goals
National team
Croatia U15:
2001
2x apps / 0x goals
Croatia U17:
2001
2x apps / 0x goals
Croatia U18:
2003
7x apps / 0x goals
Croatia U19:
2003-2004
11x apps / 2x goals
Croatia U21:
2004-2005
15x apps / 2x goals
Croatia:
2006-
77x apps / 8x goals
* (appearances national team caps and goals correct as of 16:48, 18 June 2014 / UTC)
Luka Modrić, born 9 September 1985, is a Croatian footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Croatia national football team.
Modrić plays mainly as a central midfielder, but can also play as an attacking midfielder and winger.
After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002.
His professional career began with loan spells at Zrinjski Mostar and Inter Zaprešić.
While he was playing for Dinamo Zagreb, they won three consecutive league titles and several domestic cups, with Modrić named Prva HNL "Player of the Year" in 2007.
In 2008, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur in England's Premier League, before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2012.
In his second season at Real Madrid, he won the UEFA Champions League.
Modrić is a Croatian international and made his debut against Argentina in March 2006.
He has since participated in three major tournaments; 2006 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2008 and 2012.
He scored his first international goal in the friendly match against Italy, and at the Euro 2008 was included in the UEFA "Team of the Tournament", becoming only the second Croatian to ever achieve this honour.
International career
Modrić's first international experience came at youth level, playing for the Croatian under-17, under-19 and under-21 teams.
He made his full international debut on 1 March 2006 in a friendly match against Argentina in Basel, Switzerland, which Croatia won 3:2.
2006 World Cup
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, he made two appearances as a substitute in the group fixtures against Japan and Australia.
With the appointment of new manager Slaven Bilić, Modrić earned greater recognition at international level, scoring his first goal in Croatia's 2:0 friendly win over Italy on 16 August 2006 in Livorno.
His performances ensured a regular place in the international side, and he gave an impressive showing in Croatia's successful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, which recorded home and away victories against England.
Euro 2008
Much was expected of the young midfielder often dubbed "the Croatian Cruyff".
Modrić scored Croatia's first goal of Euro 2008, converting a penalty in the fourth minute of their 1:0 victory against Austria on 8 June 2008.
It was the fastest penalty ever awarded and scored in European Championship history.
He continued to impress at the tournament and was named UEFA Man of the Match in their next game when Croatia defeated one of the pre-tournament favorites and eventual finalists Germany.
In the quarter-final against Turkey, Modrić took advantage of a mistake by veteran Turkish goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber, and crossed to teammate Ivan Klasnić for the first goal of the game with only a minute remaining of extra time.
Semih Şentürk, however, equalised for Turkey almost immediately. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Modrić failed to score the first penalty with his off-target kick.
Turkey went on to win the shootout 3:1. At the end of the competition, Modrić was included in the UEFA Team of the Tournament, becoming only the second Croatian to ever achieve this honour, the first being Davor Šuker.
Euro 2012
In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Modrić scored three goals, against Kazakhstan, Andorra and Ukraine, matching Ivan Rakitić, Ivica Olić, and Eduardo da Silva, but the team fell short of qualifying by a single point behind Ukraine.
After appearing in all of their UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier matches, and scoring a goal against Israel, he started in all three of Croatia group stage matches against Republic of Ireland, Italy and Spain, but the team failed to progress.
His most notable performance was against Spain, being the one who led the team game and manager Bilić relied to realize the strategy of resisting Spain's football quality on the pitch.
The most memorable moment of the game was when Modrić picked the ball on the halfway line skipping Spain's midfield trio, rushing down on the right side to reach penalty area, there evaded a defender and from 18 yards with out side of the foot crossed to Ivan Rakitić, but Iker Casillas saved the goal of this attempt.
As Croatia did not pass the group stage, he was not included in the Team of the Tournament, but The Telegraph included him in the best eleven until the semi-finals, and his play was well received by the critics.
Style of play
"Not only is he a very hard worker, he has a good brain and he provided some calmness and composure to the midfield. His passing was neat and his contribution was outstanding.
He was not only winning the ball, he was passing well. We thought that he was very influential. He did not just work hard, he made the other people play well around him." –Gérard Houllier, UEFA Technical Team
Modrić is described as a creative playmaker with great vision, able to change the course of the game with a pass, from both distances, or with a solo long-range effort.
He is able to play with both feet, and combines this with his swift offensive positioning off the ball.
His complex game brought him consistent success in the clubs he played for.
His best role is as a central midfielder and during his time at Dinamo Zagreb, he proved his ability to play as an attacking midfielder, especially on his preferred left wing.
In the 2010-11 season, Modrić has been seen to adopt a defensive midfield role in addition to playmaking, tracking back to win the ball from the opposition and prepare for counter-attack, making him one of the most versatile players in the Spurs squad.
His position in Real Madrid is number six, eight or ten, depending on the tactics, while his role was described as the second deep-lying pivot along Xabi Alonso, a classic playmaker when his creativity is needed to unlock the defense.
In the Croatian national squad, Modrić linked up well with Niko Kovač, also demonstrating his defensive ability.
Croatian team manager Slaven Bilić has utilised Modrić's flexibility to good effect when experimenting with the team formation.
Most notably, Modrić formed a "telepathic understanding" with Eduardo when they played together at Dinamo and the national team.
Modrić's cleverness in the game was recognized by Piksi, who stated: "I saw a small blond boy who played exactly like I would.
Ideas he was showing then on the terrain were fascinating." Johan Cruyff noted that Modrić's quality and influence to the game depend on the freedom he gets.
Paul Scholes who several times played against him, in an interview to Manchester Evening News in 2011 said: "Of the three Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder, Modrić, has been the one I have been most impressed with, and whenever we played Tottenham, he was the one who stood out."
José Mourinho stated that the reason why he wanted him in Real Madrid is because of his influence on the game, tactical level and has "that artistic sense."
Carlo Ancelotti praised Modrić's technique and versatility as a midfield player, stating: "Modric is an outstanding player and in my opinion one of the best midfielders in the world right now, because he can play in more than one position".
Alex Ferguson highly regarded him as a player while played in Premier League, stating it's fair to compare him to Paul Scholes as both are intelligent footballers with good passing consistency and control of the game, as well fairplay.
Others managers who have praised his game include, Pep Guardiola, and S.G. Eriksson.