Real Madrid are officially in a free fall and they’re taking Luka Modrić down with them.
The reigning La Liga champions have only won one game in their last five and are overworking their 35 year-old Ballon d’Or winning Croatian midfielder. When I saw the lineup for Real Madrid vs. Shakhtar Donetsk Tuesday, I was sure to see Modrić’s name as an available substitute as he played 70 minutes against Alaves on Saturday. Instead, Modrić played the full 90 in another shocking loss to Shakhtar; this time 2-0.
Since November 21st, Modrić has started all four matches for Real Madrid and has gone the distance in every match except this past weekend’s, when he was spared in the 69th minute. That’s 340 minutes of top-flight football in a span of 11 days. That’s a lot! Especially for a man of 35 years of age.
It doesn’t help that Real Madrid currently sit seven points behind La Liga leaders, Real Sociedad, and have yet to punch their ticket to the Champions League Round of 16. Real will need a result on the final match day next week to progress. A win over Borussia Monchengladbach will do the trick but who knows which Real Madrid will show up?
The Champions League schedule has been insane for players in 2020 due to COVID with the top clubs in Europe having to play three games per week for the past two months. It will finally begin to slow down after next week’s CL group stage finales but Modrić is absolutely being overworked.
The problem? Real Madrid have no one to replace him.
Modrić is in the last year of his contract at Real Madrid and this will more than likely be his last season in the Spanish capital. Real Madrid don’t have to think long-term for Modrić has he will be gone before the summer, so squeezing every last drop of Modrić goodness has to be the M.O. for Los Blancos management.
I’m sure they don’t have a contingency plan if they push him too hard over the next six months. My feeling is Real Madrid’s attitude towards Modrić is: “If he gets hurt, he gets hurt.”
Tons of footballers (Virgil, Hazard to name two) across Europe are picking up injuries and many are blaming the condensed schedule.
The Vatreni need Modrić to be fresh for EURO 2021 and weeks like these absolutely do not help.
@RealMadrid Please be careful with our Luka. You only have him until May.
With the condensed COVID schedule, the teams with depth will definitely succeed and it’s rough on a 35 year old. I think Zidane knows Modric’s worth and will give him as much rest as possible. Especially since there are several replacements; Kroos and Casemiro can easily hold down the defensive midfield duties. Isco was brought in as the natural successor. Then Frederico Valverde emerged last year and looks likely to be the bonafide starter for the Galacticos next season. Finally, Odengaard has been getting a lot of run. So there are plenty of back ups available to Luka especially once Valverde comes back from injury.
Poglavnik:
Modric is 35, Kroos 30.
@Anonymous…well I hope that story gets changed someday…because of this name I get blamed for any Abel death lol…even when is obvious suicide,I need the FBI…garden of aden is still a crime scene lol.
4 insane goals for Giroud i guess…CF that never scored in a world but they won
Kroos is one of the best midfielders of all time if ask me. Listen to Zizou or any of his teammates talk about him. Just as good as Modric if u ask me.
Not enough industry?! That just shows you has silky he is. Only 3 years old and still in his prime. Madrid will say adios to Luka before Toni.
The Broz I like is the one who stood up for himself in the face of that goon, Lukaku.
Drunk Driving and hospital KarenBroz, not so much.
He needs to leave Inter, as the fans do not appreciate him.
Broz still their best midfielder IMO.
Love watching Perisic and Broz penetrate other teams’ backlines. I call it the Croatian Double Penetration!
Kroos is overrated, for my .02.
But the team is currently decimated . . . Valverde, Ramos, Hazard (what else is new?) . . . Benzema was just hurt too etc.
They got Sevilla this weekend before make/break Champions League game next week.
Kroos is the weak link.
He does not offer enough industry and is predicable going forward.
He has golden right foot but not much else.
Real Modrić needs to take off this weekend for Sveti Nikola.
Funny Kovačić needs a break too.
He had a couple of driving runs down the middle.
He keeps on creating from the space he opens up and he will be good to go.
Rather impressive and depressing at the same time
Sevilla-Chelsea 0-4
Kovacic with another impressing performance & assist!
Caine
How is your brother Abel going
Caine
Must be a love hate relationship then
Also known as the L.A. clippers syndrome
The Madrid and Barcelona declines contrasted with the rise of other clubs such as Real Sociedad, Sevilla, Betis, etc. just shows that getting the most hyped players on a team doesn’t equal winning. The important thing is for a team to be able to play well together. The same goes for our repka.
It means that Brozović, Vlasić, Rog, Pasalić, and Kovačić will need to be ready to play top quality football together, just in case.
u mean better than the Broz that interpret clear RED LIGHTS as GREEN LIGHT n misbehaves in hospital?
But I thought Broz and Lukaku r not that cool after that dressing room confrontation
u mean the Broz that interpret clear RED LIGHTS as GREEN LIGHT n misbehaves in hospital?
Brozovic can be our workhorse defensively…it will allow Modric to focus his genius in our attack.
I like this Broz better than that other one we all know
The Broz is back yeah
I love the dynamics between him and lukaku
They probably get together after games and hit the cans
Brozovic is back!
Great game for Inter yesterday:
“Marcelo Brozović u povratku na teren nakon zaraze koronavirusom pokazao je koliko je nedostajao Interu u važnoj pobjedi 3:2 protiv Borussije Mönchengladbach.
Bio je motor momčadi u sredini – najviše je pretrčao i bio najbolji dodavač te je asistirao za gol za 2:1. Pamti se i sjajna obrambena intervencija pred sam kraj utakmice, kada je sjajnim uklizavanjem u svom šesnaestercu zaustavio opasan napad Nijemaca. Da su tada zabili, Inter bi ispao iz Europe…”
I get the point of this article but in the end… they’re the ones signing the checks unfortunately :/
Ante
It is called whipping the willing horse