1 year ago
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Associated Press
Jul 17, 2025, 01:34 PM ET
MILAN -- Luka Modric grew up supporting AC Milan due to the fact that his idol and chap Croat, Zvonimir Boban, played for the club.
And due to the fact that Milan successful the 1990s was 1 of the strongest teams successful Europe.
So present that the 39-year-old erstwhile Ballon d'Or victor has joined the Rossoneri aft 13 seasons astatine Real Madrid, helium won't basal for the mediocrity that Milan displayed past play for an eighth-placed decorativeness successful Serie A that excluded the squad from Europe this coming season.
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"Milan cannot beryllium satisfied with average," Modric told Milan TV. "It needs to person [the] biggest goals possible, to triumph titles, to vie with the champion teams successful the world. And that's wherefore I'm here."
Modric was shown a photograph of himself wearing a Milan warmup suit arsenic a child.
"When I grew up, I utilized to ticker a batch of the Italian league and Milan was my favourite team," helium said. "At the clip successful Croatia we followed Milan a batch due to the fact that it was 1 of the astir fashionable clubs successful the world. And besides due to the fact that determination was Zvonimir Boban who was my idol."
On Monday, Modric signed a one-year declaration with Milan that includes an enactment for different season.
"I wanted to enactment successful Europe, proceed playing competitory football," helium said. "I had immoderate different offers but erstwhile Milan showed up for maine it was wide from the archetypal moment. ... What besides impressed maine [was] however [sporting] manager Igli Tare came to Croatia to contiguous maine the project."
Milan rehired Massimiliano Allegri arsenic the manager aft past season, replacing the fired Sergio Conceicao. Allegri won the Italian league for the archetypal clip with Milan successful 2011, past guided Juventus to 5 consecutive titles from 2015-19. Tare was besides hired recently.
"What I privation to bring determination is to win, to assistance my teammates successful each aspect, to enactment hard, to gain my spot successful the team," Modric said. "Nothing tin travel casual successful your life. You person to work. You person to fight."
With Milan winger Rafael Leão holding onto the No. 10 shirt, Modric volition instrumentality to the No. 14 helium erstwhile wore for Croatia and astatine Tottenham Hotspur.
Leão was the Serie A MVP erstwhile Milan won the league successful 2022 but has since performed inconsistently and clashed with the squad managers.
"Leão," Modric said, "is the contiguous and aboriginal of Milan."
