Real Madrid News
Real Madrid legend on international future after UEFA Nations League: “I’m clear about it”
It was heartbreak once more for Luka Modric and the Croatian national team on Sunday night. Facing Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, they fell to a defeat only on penalties in the final of the UEFA Nations League.
Ahead of the tournament, Modric made a big statement about his future with the national team by stating that he had taken a binding decision on his continuity. However, he prioritised the task at hand and refused to reveal his choice.
“I’m focused on the Nations League now. I’ve made a decision, but we’ll talk about my future with Croatia when the Nations League is over,” he had said.
The veteran was unsurprisingly asked to provide a follow-up response to the same after last night’s clash against Spain. His response, understandably, did not change as revealed by Fabrizio Romano.
“My future with the national team? I have decided my future, I am clear about it but I’m not going to say it today,” the Real Madrid legend said.
At 37 years of age, there is really only one way an announcement of such magnitude can go.
After impressive campaigns with the Croatian international team in the last two FIFA World Cups, and most recently the UEFA Nations League, all signs point to Modric’s retirement from the international stage.
However, Modric has continued to defy the odds and continue to perform at the highest level despite his age. And he could look to keep going on with Croatia until the UEFA Euros next year.
Heading into the upcoming season, the veteran is likely to see a reduced role under Carlo Ancelotti as well. New signing Jude Bellingham and rising star Eduardo Camavinga are seen as regular starters for the campaign and which could lead to Modric being used sparingly. Nevertheless, he will continue to play a critical part on the big nights for Los Blancos.
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
