Real Madrid News
‘We knew he was good, but not this good’: Dutch legend praises Real Madrid midfielder
Luka Modric has inspired millions across his long and illustrious career.
At 37 years of age, the veteran midfielder still brushes shoulders with the very best in the business and dominates games like none other.
Earlier this week, Dutch legend and former Arsenal star Robin Van Persie spoke about the Real Madrid star.
He showered praise on Modric (h/t Madrid Xtra) and spoke about the high regard the current crop of players help for his genius.
“I watched Modrić in the Nations League. He’s completely dominant in midfield. It’s like he has eyes in the back of his head.
“The Dutch players told me: ‘We knew Modrić was good, but not this good!’. I played against him many times, I already knew it.”
A masterclass against the Oranjes
The legendary striker’s comments come off the back of Modric’s sensational showing in the recent semifinal of the UEFA National League.
The fixture in Rotterdam saw Croatia take on The Netherlands for a spot in the final where the Real Madrid ace’s side won by a 4-2 scoreline.
However, the scoreboard does not do justice to Modric’s impact and leadership on the night.
His team was leading 2-1 on the night until Noa Lang’s goal in the sixth minute of added time forced the game into extra time. What followed was football of the highest quality from Modric.
The 37-year-old spectacularly set up Bruno Petkovic’s goal in the 98th minute before getting on the scoresheet himself 18 minutes later.
Unfortunately, his team lost to Spain in the final after a tense penalty shootout.
Where does Modric stand in Ancelotti’s pecking order?
With Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga, and Federico Valverde now well-placed to fight for a starting spot, Modric may no longer enjoy the same rights over a spot in Ancelotti’s XI this season.
However, that does not go to say that he will have no prominence. The Croatian international can be expected to regularly feature off the bench for Los Blancos and even start on the big European nights.
Real Madrid News
Mbappe hits out at claims on his unhappiness at Real Madrid: ‘Angry at my great aunt too’
Kylian Mbappe has been in the news for a plethora of reasons in recent weeks, starting with his injury and surprise vacation. Beyond that, the Ballon d’Or saga has kept him in the spotlight for a reasonable while now.
The Frenchman, after all, has not held back in speaking out about why he deserves to win the prestigious individual award, and while it is perfectly okay to campaign for the award, it is something that has not usually been done in the past.
In terms of his goalscoring numbers, there is no doubt that Mbappe should be a frontrunner for the award. His lack of a single trophy for both club and country, however, works against his chances.
Mbappe’s sarcastic reply to baseless rumours
Earlier today, there were reports of Kylian Mbappe being angry with Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid for not campaigning for him to win the Ballon d’Or this year.
The rumours, needless to say, portrayed the player in a very bad light and made it seem like the club not making public gestures to acknowledge and back his campaign affected him personally.
Now, the player has himself come out to lash out at the journalists, albeit in a sarcastic manner. Commenting directly below the post making the claim via Fabrizio Romano, the player wrote,
“Yes, yes, I even got angry with my great aunt too.”
Mbappe’s ability to deal with such reports with a tinge of humour, needless to say, is impressive and it can only be good for his image that he spoke out and cut off the news at its roots.
Set to return
There has been significant concern around Mbappe’s fitness in recent weeks after the player left the French national team with an injury after their first game.
The initial diagnosis appeared worrying, but it soon came to light that the player had avoided a major setback by a hair’s breadth.
Now, there is increasing hope that the Frenchman will be back for Real Madrid’s first game after the break against Villarreal, possibly even as a starter.
Needless to say, that comes as a massive positive for Jose Mourinho’s plans ahead of a crucial stretch of the season.
