Lopetegui speaks about Modric, Courtois rumors

Real Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui spoke to the press after the team’s 3-1 win against Juventus and revealed that midfielder Luka Modric is not going anywhere this summer.

“The president addressed the rumors very clearly and I have nothing else to say about it. Modric is an extraordinary player and we are waiting for him. I talked to him after the excellent World Cup he played and we just have to wait for him and start working after August 8th to see if he can be ready for the Super Cup Final,” said Lopetegui.

“Luka is a player that I am passionate about and I love. I think he’ll be pleased with what he’s going to get from me. He will be happy playing football at Real Madrid. Luka is a Real Madrid player and I have no doubt that he will stay here. We have enjoyed it and we will continue enjoying it without any doubt,” added the coach.

Marco Asensio scored a double for Real Madrid and it seems that he might take on a role as a potential false nine this season, given that Lopetegui already used him in that position in the Spanish national team.

“Marco played well, he played in a different position than usual, but he did well. We are happy with the performance of all the players. I hate false nines. This is an alternative. The preseason serves for these things. it’s not the first time he has played there for me. We have to test the resources within the squad,” explained Lopetegui.

The coach also talked about the rumors suggesting that Madrid will sign Thibaut Courtois but refused to deliver any big headlines on the matter.

“I’ll talk about it when it arrives, if it arrives. At the moment, I’m just going to talk about the good games that Keylor and Lunin have played. There’s also Kiko and Luca and we can only talk about the players we have,” concluded Lopetegui.