The federation settled it on Saturday
Luka Modric is carrying on. Croatia’s federation confirmed on Saturday that their captain stays available, and he will be in the squad for the next Nations League fixtures.
Modric told head coach Slaven Bilic and HNS president Marijan Kustic where he stood. Both had been waiting since the World Cup ended. So had the rest of the country.
“He is ready to continue his remarkable international career, marked by 202 caps and historic achievements,” the federation said in its statement.
Try it for $0.99.
202 caps, and the clock keeps running
The number is absurd. 202 games in the checkered shirt, more than any Croatian has managed. He turns 41 on Wednesday, days after this announcement.
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner kept everyone guessing all summer. His World Cup ended against Portugal in the last seconds, and plenty read that as the natural full stop. He read it differently.
For Bilic, who took the job after Zlatko Dalic left, the timing could hardly be better. The new coach keeps his dressing-room anchor while everything else around him changes.
Czech Republic, Spain, England
No gentle reintroduction here. Croatia draw those three in this Nations League campaign.
England knocked the Vatreni out at the last World Cup. That one will carry an edge for a player who, deep into his 40s, keeps refusing to walk toward the exit.
Discover the rest of the football news on our mathodds website and app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply