BALLON D'OR WINNER LUKA MODRIC FULFILLS MILAN DREAM AFTER MADRID RETIREMENT MISS
Luka Modrić calls AC Milan the "next best thing" after failing to retire at Real Madrid, revealing the Italian club was his childhood favorite growing up.
Luka Modric recently shared that while he dreamed of retiring at Real Madrid, playing for AC Milan is the next best thing and has been a childhood dream of his. He also recalled a time when Tottenham blocked his move to Chelsea.
Modric's contract ended last summer, just before his 40th birthday, and he's found a new spark at San Siro.
He spoke with Slaven Bilic on a podcast about his career and this new chapter.
Modric said, I always wanted to retire at Real Madrid. But things don't always work out as planned, and since that didn't happen, I had to decide what to do next.
What's done is done, and I have no regrets. Leaving Real Madrid means taking a step down, that's for sure. But I think I've joined a club that's very close to Real Madrid in terms of history and reputation, so it's the best alternative for me.
I grew up watching Italian soccer, and Milan was my favourite team. Even when I couldn't imagine leaving Real Madrid, I'd think about where I'd love to play, and Milan was always my first choice, besides Real Madrid.
Modric has always admired Milan, especially since they had so many talented players from Croatia, like Zvonimir Boban, back then.
During the podcast, Modric reflected on his early career and how it took time for him to become a Ballon d'Or winner.
People thought I was too short, so at Hajduk Split, they tried exercises to make me taller. "But I never lost faith in myself, and I joined Dinamo Zagreb, which is where it all began," he said.
He moved to the Premier League to play for Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 and spent four years in London before joining Real Madrid.
Modric explained, Chelsea tried to sign me, but Daniel Levy made it clear that he wouldn't let me go to them. He said the only club he'd sell me to was Real Madrid.
I didn't think a club like Real Madrid would want me, but during the summer, I heard they really wanted me at the Bernabeu. I couldn't believe it. Despite what the Tottenham president had promised, the transfer wasn't easy. I could've acted better, but Levy had given me his word, and I wanted him to keep it.
I had made up my mind and was ready to refuse to play if he tried to stop me from leaving.
Modric won everything possible at Real Madrid, often with Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti leading the way.
If someone had told me when I arrived that I'd achieve all this and be so happy, I wouldn't have believed it. It was amazing. I'm not just talking about trophies or wins, but staying at a club like this for 13 years...
I was 27 when I joined and almost 40 when I left. Everyone knows what Real Madrid means; they don't accept anything less than the best. Just lasting at that level for so long makes me so proud.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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