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.
LUCIANO SPALLETTI OFFICIALLY EXTENDS JUVENTUS TENURE UNTIL 2028 AFTER IMPRESSIVE INTERIM SPELL
Juventus coach Spalletti extends his contract until 2028. Get the latest on the Serie A top-four race and match news.
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti just signed a new two-year deal with the club, capping off a promising six months at the helm.
He broke the news to his players first, right before Friday’s training session. Not long after, Juventus posted a video of Spalletti sharing the update. “I wanted you to hear it from me before anyone else,” he told the squad. “We’ve decided to extend my contract by another two years. I wanted to tell you before the news got out. Honestly, the road ahead looks tough, but I’m convinced we’ll tackle it together. With your character and your fight, we can turn every challenge into something bigger.”
Spalletti took charge back in October, stepping in after Juventus sacked Igor Tudor. Tudor’s departure came after three straight losses and a long, frustrating stretch without a win. At the time, Juventus handed Spalletti an eight-month contract. The word was, he'd get an automatic two-year extension if the team qualified for the Champions League.
Right now, Juventus sits just outside the Champions League spots, one point back from fourth-place Como, with seven games left in the season.
“When I joined seven months ago, the club gave me this short contract,” Spalletti explained. “The idea was simple: let’s give it some time, get to know each other, then decide at the end of the season if we want to keep going.”
Back then, Juventus sat in seventh place, fighting just to stay in Europe. In the Champions League, they were already scrambling to avoid elimination.
Things have improved since Spalletti took over. Juventus has picked up 17 wins, six losses, and eight draws in 31 matches. They managed to push through to the Champions League playoffs, though Galatasaray knocked them out.
Club CEO Damien Comolli praised Spalletti’s impact. “Since joining us, Luciano’s made a real difference on the pitch, around the club, and among our fans,” Comolli said. “He’s exactly the kind of leader we need. His ambitious football matches what we all expect from Juventus, and he stands for what our club’s all about. So, we want to keep going with him. We believe stability and continuity are key to reaching our goals.”
Juventus hasn’t lifted the Serie A trophy since 2020, when they wrapped up a run of nine straight titles.
Before arriving in Turin, Spalletti led Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023, then took charge of Italy’s national team. That stint didn’t go well; he lost his job last June after a shaky start in World Cup qualifying. Now, he’s got another shot to lead a powerhouse club.
NAPOLI LEAPFROG AC MILAN INTO SECOND PLACE WITH VITAL 1-0 SAN SIRO VICTORY
Napoli beat AC Milan 1-0 to move into second place. Discover how Politano and McTominay are chasing Inter for the title.
Napoli snatched a late 1-0 win over AC Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, keeping their hopes for a second straight Serie A title very much alive. Scott McTominay played the entire match, and with Napoli sitting third before kickoff, their victory bumped them ahead of Milan into second place, just seven points behind Inter. That gap was a daunting 11 points a mere three weeks ago, but Napoli's five-game winning streak, combined with Inter dropping points, has changed the picture fast. With seven matches left, McTominay and the team aren’t giving up on defending their scudetto.
Early in the game, McTominay nearly had Napoli fans holding their breath when he tried a bicycle kick, a move that’s become one of his signatures. This time, though, he couldn't duplicate his Hampden magic from last November against Denmark. The ball skipped wide.
The game felt tense and looked to be heading for a draw until the 79th minute. That’s when Napoli broke through with a quick attack down the left. McTominay didn’t get the goal, but his movement from a Mathias Olivera cross caused chaos in the Milan box. Matteo Politano, coming on as a sub, pounced at the far post and put in a tidy left-footed finish.
Billy Gilmour, McTominay’s Scotland teammate, didn’t get on the pitch. He’d started in three of his last four Serie A appearances, but this time watched from the bench.
Napoli’s next game takes them away to Parma, who sit in 13th. Inter travelled to play Como later that same day. Talking about the title race, manager Antonio Conte said, “Scudetto? It's tough. Inter is really strong and is having an incredible season. We can’t slip up; we need them to make mistakes, and not just once. Honestly, we have to be realistic… Inter deserves to lead. Still, we’ve won the Supercoppa and sit second. We should be pretty happy. With all our injuries and problems, this season could easily have gone off the rails.”
Around the rest of Serie A, Lennon Miller, who didn’t see action for Scotland over the international break, came off the bench for Udinese in the 65th minute of their scoreless draw with Como. On Sunday, Lewis Ferguson saw red for the first time in Italy after picking up two yellows in thirty seconds late in Bologna’s 2-1 win at Cremonese. Che Adams found the net for Torino in their 1-0 victory over Pisa.
