Croatia captain Luka Modric, who left Real Madrid after 13 years at the La Liga club, has completed his move to AC Milan on a one-year deal with an option to extend until June 2027, the Serie A side said on Monday.
The midfielder’s arrival was confirmed by new AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri earlier this month.
“Very happy to be here to start a new chapter in my career,” said Modric, who turns 40 in September, in an Instagram video shared by AC Milan.
Photo: AFP
AC Milan said that Modric would wear the No. 14 shirt, which he previously wore during his four years at English side Tottenham Hotspur to honor Dutch great Johan Cruyff.
“It’s an immense honor for them to compare me to [Cruyff]... I wore the No. 14 at Tottenham in honor of him, and because the No. 10 wasn’t available,” Modric had said after winning the Ballon d’Or in 2018.
Modric, regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, announced in May that he would leave Real Madrid after the FIFA Club World Cup. He has made 597 appearances for the Spanish club, winning 28 trophies, including four La Liga and six UEFA Champions League titles.
He played his last game for Real Madrid on Wednesday last week, coming on as a second-half substitute during a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-finals.
“It’s a bitter end ... he’s a legend of world football and of Real Madrid. He’ll be remembered for many more good things than for the 25 minutes he played today,” Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso said after the match.
Modric, considered Croatia’s greatest player of all time, has represented the country a record 188 times, scoring 28 goals. He won the Golden Ball at FIFA World Cup 2018, where he led Croatia to the final for the first time.
He won the Ballon d’Or in December that year, becoming the first player other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the prestigious annual award since 2007.
Modric’s arrival reinforces an AC Milan midfield that also features Youssouf Fofana, Yunus Musah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with Samuele Ricci joining from Torino earlier this month.
AC Milan, who failed to qualify for a European competition after finishing eighth in the Italian top-flight last season, begin their Serie A campaign against promoted US Cremonese on Aug. 23.
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