Modrić extends Milan contract, citing club's trust and passion for the game

Croatian international Luka Modrić has spoken publicly for the first time since extending his contract with Italian club AC Milan, revealing that his decision to stay was made in December but was delayed until he could assess his physical condition and motivation.

"I already had the desire to continue for another year in my head. I could have signed the contract back in December, but I didn't because I wanted to listen to my body – I had to see if I was still just as hungry for success, if I still had the same desire and passion for playing football. The answers were ultimately what I expected: I still feel good, I have the passion and everything needed to continue," Modrić told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

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Već sam u glavi imao želju nastaviti još jednu godinu. Mogao sam potpisati ugovor već u prosincu, ali nisam to učinio jer sam želio poslušati svoje tijelo – morao sam vidjeti jesam li još uvijek jednako gladan uspjeha, imam li istu želju i strast za igranjem nogometa. Odgovori su na kraju bili onakvi kakve sam očekivao: i dalje se osjećam dobro, imam strast i sve što je potrebno za nastavak

The captain of the Croatian national team, who will turn 41 next month, emphasized that the club's and fans' treatment of him strongly influenced his decision. "Milan showed me last year what every footballer wants – trust and affection. The club and fans were with me at every moment, and that was the main reason I decided to stay," he stated.

Modrić also reflected on the death of the legendary Milan captain, Franco Baresi, whom he considers one of his childhood football idols. "Baresi represented the essence of Milan for me. He was one of the club's greatest symbols, a humble man and a leader who led by example. This is a huge loss for Milan and all the fans," said the Croatian midfielder.

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To za nas može biti veliki cilj – osvojiti naslov i posvetiti ga Francu. Zbog njegova nasljeđa. Bilo bi to nešto izvanredno, prekrasno, pravi san. Naporno ćemo raditi da to ostvarimo

He added that as a child, he followed Milan, partly due to his compatriot Zvonimir Boban, but also because of great players like Baresi. "When you fall in love with a club as a child, there are players you take as an example. Even though he didn't play in my position, I admired him and thought: that's how one should behave and play football," Modrić said. He highlighted that winning a trophy with Milan and dedicating it to Baresi would hold special value. "That can be a big goal for us – to win the title and dedicate it to Franco. Because of his legacy. It would be something extraordinary, beautiful, a real dream. We will work hard to achieve it," he stated.

Speaking about the past season, Modrić admitted that the end of the championship was disappointing as Milan failed to qualify for the Champions League. "We didn't finish well and didn't achieve the minimum goal, which was Champions League qualification. It was frustrating. I regret that due to injury I couldn't help the team in the most important matches at the end of the season," he said. Last season, Modrić played 37 matches for Milan, which finished fifth in the league. Regarding the new coach, Rúben Amorim, he said the first impressions are very positive. "I believe the coach will bring new ideas, and we will try to do everything he asks of us. I hope we will be on the same wavelength and that everything will go well."

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Nismo završili dobro i nismo ostvarili minimalni cilj, a to je plasman u Ligu prvaka. Bilo je frustrirajuće. Žao mi je što zbog ozljede nisam mogao pomoći momčadi u najvažnijim utakmicama na kraju sezone