Modric: “We knew we would keep winning without Cristiano Ronaldo”

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric talked to the newspaper Sportske Novosti and to review the 2019-2020 season, which saw Madrid conquering their 34th Liga title.

“We found a way to keep playing good football all year long, and we did a very good job during those 10 games after the quarantine. 10 straight wins and a draw speak for themselves. We also won the Supercup in January and will do our best in the Champions League,” said Modric.

The midfielder was also asked about how Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the club affected Madrid’s chances of winning trophies.

“There’s no need to talk about how important Cristiano was for Real Madrid, but I must say that we were not afraid of not having him around, we were going to have the same expectations and we knew we would keep winning without him,” explained the midfielder.

Modric spent some games on the bench this year and revealed what went through his mind during those matches.

“Zidane told me he was very happy with the job I was doing and my commitment so that I needed to keep working that way. He never questioned my capabilities, he just told me very honestly that he thought that the team needed something else. I accepted his view and worked hard,” says Modric.

The Croatian player concluded his interview by talking about coach Zinedine Zidane.

“Zidane once again proved he’s an excellent person. He makes us calm, he’s very polite when he approaches his players. There are always players who don’t play as much as they like and that makes sense, but Zidane’s approach affected how those players felt they were a part of this team so that they accepted their role. We have great people in this dressing room, nobody creates issues, we have no bad apples,” concluded Modric.

The midfielder will be entering the last year of his contract next season and it’s not clear if Madrid will offer him an extension, although it seems quite likely considering how well he played after the quarantine.