Photo: Real Madrid
Croatian star midfielder Luka Modrić has finally completely his much anticipated transfer to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur. Modrić passed his physical at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on Monday, inking a five-year deal. Madrid paid £33 million ($52.2 million) for Modrić, who will wear #19.
Real Madrid will once again take part in the Champions League tournament this campaign, however, they have only earned one point from their first two games in La Liga. How fast can Modrić help turn this Real Madrid team turn itself around?
Luka Modrić Interview
@ Mate
Can you send me any information about Jelena Rozga Concert in Cleveland?
pravi nogometas i dalmatinac je. ne more bolje biti za zadrani.
Hurray! Congrats to Modrić’s new club Real Madrid for winning this year’s Spanish Super Cup after defeating Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 2-1 (4-4 on aggregate).
Real v Barcelona 2nd half.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzZdTmx3z6o
@jack…..my playing days are done at that level. If the people who run these clubs really cared about developing a Croatian club they would do a beter job of having Croatians playing for them. Paying ringers does nothing and creates no interest in the community.
@mate….agreed on the church part. I go every Sunday. No tourney for me this year. Spending the weekend watching tennis aat the US Open.
Wow, look at Ziva Svircina, handsome clean cut decko! 🙂 lol
By the way, after watching the above video…Luka has such a deep, masculine voice…I was expecting something more frail from the little guy
@ Ziva
I’ll do it Ziva, it actually really interests me this same question. Of course I’m going to do a guestimate. If presented the opportunity, I’ll ask some fans of the team (especially if they happen to be a hot blonde or Anna)
I’ll get back to you on that….but if you live in GTA, you should go, I mean, that’s the main church in the area right? I know even the most righteous of people need them some Jesus
@Ziva:
Why don’t you play? Be part of the solution.
true, but it wont take much to count. Most of the US teams will have less than 4 or 5 hrvati on the roster.
@ Ziva i will be there but it might be hard to accurately count all the Hrvati. I mean, picking out the crnci and non-white guys are obvious, but doing a head count might be difficult otherwise.
For those going to the tournament can you do a head count and count the number of hrvati playing for the teams that make it to the semis.
@Jack,
No headshots for me. Im not much of an attention seeker.
What you can do? Bring us some advertising. 🙂
Most of the advertising money would be reinvested into the website. We would use this $$$ for:
1) transportation. Ex: sending the Crippler on a road trip for interviews or a MMA event
2) A detective to find out who Ziva Istina is
3) A second home for me
4) A third home for Ante
5) A haircut for me
6) Zdravko Mamic Dinamo fund
7) Gotovina NY Times ad
8) Whatever else is left over goes to Zach and Colin
@Everyone else going to the Toronto tournament,
Shoot us an email with pictures, reports, and videos. Like I have stressed many times before, this is a people’s website.
Dont just email me two pictures. Write up a few sentences summarizing the action on and off the pitch.
email us at: info@croatiansports.com
@Mate,
Appreciate it. Looking forward to it.
Lukino carstvo: U kvartu La Finca s Cristianom Ronaldom
http://is.gd/lWJq5v
@ Denis I’ll send you that email for Rozga and Colonia…well, at least Rozga. I didn’t personally organize it, but a friend of mine did, so once I talk to him more about it, I can shoot you an email with more details, including where else she’s touring….would have liked to see her go to LA and Vancouver but I don’t think it’s in store…….also, if I remember, I’ll try to bring a camera this weekend, give you some PG-13 snapshots of the tournament this weekend
I used to play for the Croatian All-Stars in Astoria Park during the 97-99 summers. Me, Mario, Neven, & Stravo had a mean mid-filed. We usually squared off against bare footed Mexicans.
I played for the 1966 team, first in club history! Man, I just aged myself….tried to get the ’66 and ’67 boys together as I said, guess they are past their prime! LOL
true, what a waste. none of the chicago teams (heck most of the US teams) don’t bring hrvati. No excuse for that. Any idiot can assemble an all-star roster, but it takes a drive, committment and determination to actually build a club for hrvati to consider their own. To those who do it with hrvati, svaka vam cast…….to those who dont, sram vas bilo, cigani!!!!
@jelic, i played for Croatia Missisauga too. What year was your team?
Also, Toronto Croatia won’t be participating this year. Most of the Canadian-Croatian teams are predominately Croatian with a few stranci. However, it is a main reason why an American team will surely win it this year since Toronto Croatia is out of it. Chicago CBP are probably the favorites.
@ Jack,
Thank you!
As you know, we’re not making any cash right now off the site. We’re just happy to be the catalysts in this little Croatian community we have built.
We are looking for advertisers, naturally. Still haven’t broken that threshold. Would love a big boy to throw some cash at us….
@Denis & Ante:
Great job with the site. I also frequent socceramerica.com
Your site is infinitely better and I would venture to guess that they have a larger budget.
I hope you guys can generate some decent ad revenue soon.
Is there anything we can do? Should we look at the Adidas or Mercedes Benz (just 2 random examples) site after viewing yours? Do advertisers data mine to see where they should place ads?
@Denis:
Nice haircut. You should get a headshot done.
@ Jelic
My memory is getting worse man. But I definitely believe you, what I’m recalling is 2010. TC always does pull some weird bullshit though huh, I think they boycotted the games in Cleveland because of some tiff….all these clubs need to grow up a bit, including my own…forget it, either way I’m doing the same thing this weekend
Ivan,
Yes, I got your email. I will try to put this together later this evening. Sorry for the delay.
Btw, I know this year there will be 9 senior teams participating so that is up and I expect most of those rosters of old guys to be predominently Croat.
I tried to put a team together myself of the old boys from my Mississauga Croatia days, but the bastards were either too slow in responding or too busy pulling their wires!
Jebi ga, whomever goes out on the weekend all the best and enjoy….
Mate Cleveland, I checked the tournament results on the Hamilton Croatia website prior to indicating TC’s last participation was 2010.
IIf you click on the link below in the given year, you will see the teams that participated, their groups and the champions.
http://www.hnnsavez.com/hnnstournament.htm
Enjoy Norval!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Ziva, appreciate it
@mate…..actually the Cleveland team has always been good. you guys are one of the rare clubs that use their own players and always show up with a large number of fans. The other club in the US cant really say that.
‘Luka je bio prva opcija i igrat će na omiljenoj mu poziciji’
http://is.gd/en9BT3
@ Denis:
Did ou get my mail about fanzone?
@ Ziva and Jelic
I don’t think it’s as bad as you guys are mentioning, I can only really speak for Cleveland, because I know the players that make it up, but I’d say at least half of the starting players are Croatian, another 3-4 play year round with the club, and only 3-4 players are called up special for the tournament
I know the math doesn’t work out, but I can tell you for certain this weekend when I come to Norval…my cousin’s band is playing, Oluja shout out, and I have to support my club…plus it is a good time, Kolo festival is better for girls, but tournament is always fun
@ Jelic
Are you sure TC didn’t play last year, I’m pretty sure TC at least had a representative team…I think it was last year when a fight broke out during the game with Cleveland for the finals…..definitely very stupid…or maybe that was 2010?
Mate,
Shoot me an email. denis@croatiansports.com.
I’d like to hear from you about the upcoming concerts.
@anonymous,
“WILL CSR be covering the NORTH AMERICAN CROATIAN 49TH ANNUAL SOCCER TOURNAMENT this weekend in Norval, Ontario Canada?”
No $$$ my friend. If someone in toronto wants to report, we would be happy to post it on the site.
Wow , Modric is now even more of a rich man . Boy , now i can go on with my life . Whopie
I remember in years past that was always an issue with Toronto Croatia. Just because you are the big dog in Canadain amateur soccer doesn’t mean the rules don’t apply.
Would love to get back to the days where each team had at least 75% croatian players and the other players were guys who played year round with the club. That is no longer the case. if there was a will that could easily be done.
Ziva, TC have bailed on the tournament because of some dispute with the registration cards. Organizers insisted that all teams demonstrate players were officially signed to the club, TC owner Pavicic showed up to the tournament with no such evidence (his claim is that if they are playing in the CSL they are all legit players; can’t disagree with that really) and a big scrap ensued.
Needless to say, for now TC isn’t participating. Btw, I think this will be the 2nd year they are no longer involved. They won in 2010.
@elvis,
Hrvati are better footballers than crnci, stop fear mongering. There’s nothing to be worried about.
It’s pretty rough in the small goals tournaments because we just made an all Croatian team for one of the tournaments and just got destroyed by other teams who had almost no Croatians on them. I mean the winning pot is so petty and you build and all stat team for a tournament that should be for **** and giggles.
All I know is I will never enter another one.
@Ziva
Pretty soon the NT will have no Hrvati on it.
If you are bringing in Rozga for a concernt make sure you stockpile the cocaine for her.
@mate……that has to ruin the experience having non-hrvati playing for a croatian club at a croatian tournament. I understand teams have outsiders playing for them and I have no issue with that, but I will never understand how a croatian club will bring in a new squad just for this tournament.
Some years I go and some years I dont go. The american teams (with the exception of Cleveland and maybe one other city) bring no fans with them. I guess that is what happens when you load your team with non-hrvati, even the local fans from the home city dont come out and support the club.
@ Ante B
Sorry, forgot to mention, our church is in Cleveland, so that’s probably what you remember that from…people have the ceremony in the church in Cleveland then reception in Eastlake
@ Jelic
Also, for the west coast tournaments, in comparison to east coast, they’re not what you would call par. I’ve played in both, at least small goals for west coast, and the competition isn’t the same…I always thought it to be awesome to have a Final Four, best in east vs best in west but logistically an issue…unless everyone wants to meet in Milwaukee
@ Ante B
Thanks for the compliments. We have a really nice hall in Eastlake where most Croatians have their wedding receptions. Fits about 500 people and there’s a small hall that fits 150. We have most of our concerts there as well. Jelena Rozga is coming for Thanksgiving which is awesome. Maybe the people at CSR could put up an article about her US tour.
To my understanding Jelena Rozga is coming to Toronto, New York and Cleveland for just a week long tour. Would love to have people from Chicago, Pittsburgh, Greater Toronto area or anyone that is interested to come. It would be a great bash.
Colonia is also coming soon to be at a club downtown, but that to me is of lesser importance.
@ Ziva
I completely agree with you that a tournament that formally was for only Croatians 20 years ago has been muddled to an extreme with foreign players. But frankly everyone wants to win and people are going to bring the players to do that
The only teams that are majority Croatian are the worse teams that don’t make it through the group stage. For example, when Toronto Croatia beat Cleveland Croatia in the finals last year, both teams had 4 or 5 foreign players starting, 6 or 7 Croatians and a bunch full of Croatian reserves. What you have happening is when teams are done with their regular leagues, they call up the all stars of that league to play in tournaments. Some players are even paid to play, but in Cleveland’s case, we don’t really to do for the obvious reason of noone wanting to fork over the dough…only a few Chicago teams do that I believe
1) @Zach-
Somehow Cilic pulled it out, winning the last 3 sets. This is one of the reasons I have not gone to the US Open the past few years since “our” guys and women get overpowered or simply tank the games so that they can go home. Ivanisevic was well known to do this at the US Open games as he only got out of the first round a few times.
2) Regarding Modric, I have the feeling he’ll be sitting on the bench for at least half of the games. This team is loaded.
@Jelic……what did Toronto do? I thought there roster was mostly croatian guys. At least they have that going for them, or had that going for them. Most of the clubs from the United States dont even have croatians on their rosters
It’s not even North American as there is an alternate tournament in Western Canada and California is never represented.
Not to mention Toronto Croatia no longer participates for last couple years after tiff with organizers over player eligibility.
No need to cover it…….no croatians play in it anymore.
WILL CSR be covering the NORTH AMERICAN CROATIAN 49TH ANNUAL SOCCER TOURNAMENT this weekend in Norval, Ontario Canada?
Dinamo will crash out tomorrow – about to be handed a spanking.
Sorry. Church was near downtown. Not in Eastlake
Hey Mate what part of Cleveland are you from? I was there about 10 days ago for a wedding at St Paul an reception at the Dom in Eastlake. You guys have the best Dom in America and easily the best N D H entrance. Plus all the guys I met were hardcore, a rarity. Great time man
Hurray! Modrić becomes a new Galáctico! Goodbye Spurs, welcome Real! Tottenham is getting weaker and weaker in the Premier League nowadays after winning the Carling Cup in 2008, the same year Modrić joined from Dinamo Zagreb. Anyway, let’s wish him success with Real Madrid.
cilic is what he is. a player who will never win big match. all his tournament titles have been at minor events where none of the big boys show up to play.
Best ever until Mateo comes….that is
Cilic in a real mess in the 1st round of the US Open as he losses first 2 sets Matosevic (65th in the world)
Dodig won easily earlier and Martic lost
If Modric is able to start for Real Madrid, he will start for Croatia regardless of fitness…you’re talking about a team that is likely to win the next few spanish titles and realistically a champions league during his time there, this is one of the best Real teams brought together in recent memory with the best coach currently in the business….lacking a bit of game endurance and form isn’t going to stop one of the best ever Croatian playmakers to start for his national team…don’t worry
Modric signing today doesn’t mean he will be ready for the qualifiers. He will start, but won’t be near his peak.
Hvala Bogu! Modric was playing 1 on 4 against the Spanish midfield at Euro’12 AND created the scoring cross that would have shocked the world. Love all the smotani that sweat stats and miss his genius. After last Wed’s Barca smack down, Madrid needs Modric more than he needs them! Mourinho knows what’s up! Now Vatreni can focus on these next WQ’s.
Weekly pay…150k….comes out just over 7.2 million euros per year.
Hopefully some of that money ses it’s way to bjezigrad, errrr I mean zadar.
Any word on what Modric’s weekly salary is going to be?
@ Jarac i Ziva
that RM away kit is pretty nice looking, not for nothing – I still only wear my clubs kits and our NT kit, but that away kit is pretty snazzy
Good move for modric and great result for spurs. They got the money they wanted for him.
I wouldn’t say zuti and jarni left any legacy at Madrid. Suker did for a few years.
Finally the saga is over. Good for Modric making the right move for his career and testing the level he can play at. Only the best can come in here and get it done so I hope he can do well at Madrid.
Great for Luka. I hope Real will start to use him right now so Luka will be ready for the games against Macedonia and Belgium. We will need him.
AND Jarni was from my mom’s part of CRO which most Crotians forget about……Medjimurje! Same with Ladic.
@Jelic,
Yes, Jarni was one of the most underrated Croatian players of all time. I will never forget that goal against Germany in ’98.
@Goldenchild,
Now that the dust has cleared, this is the most important question. All we can do is hope for the best. Real Madrid is no joke(Tottenham).
highest transfer for a Croatian ever, with his transfer to Spurs in 2nd now. Interesting read for those that can read Hrvatski (or know how to use Google Translate)
http://www.politikaplus.com/novost/62935/Modricev-transfer-sesti-u-povijesti-Reala-najveci-medu-HR-nogometasima-
can you believe Robi Prosinecki’s move to RM from CZ is still 4th highest after all these years?!
The main question now is:
Where will he fit/ how does Mourinho use him?
GOL TV you get lots of La Liga games……
Kind of sad, that there are no La Liga rights on Canadian TV.
Barca or Real? Neither, samo Dinamo but it makes it easier to know which team I’ll be watching more of.
Time to get a nice new jersey, Ziva I will buy u one too my friend, with big nice letters so everyone can see MODRIC
Don’t forget Rober Jarni who made 27 appearances for the Royal club, 1998-99!
about damn time!!! this transfer sauga has been driving me nuts all summer! looking forward to seeing him continue the croatian legacy of suker & prosinecki at RM
finally! what a honor for my son’s namesake!
Spurs will realize how important Luka was to their success. He was the glue- not the stat stuffer.
With Everton and Newcastle coming on it looks like Spurs may end up somewhere between 8-12 with Luka and Harry in the fold they could of potentially been top 4 again…
Looking forward to watching some Spanish ball…Gooooolllllll
Congratulations Luka!
¿Se habla español, Luka?
Yes !!!!!!!!!!