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It has been said already written a thousand times, it has never been so true: on the eve of the match of his life against France in the final of the World Cup, Luka Modric, 32, is at top of his art. Every time he treads on a Russian lawn, the Croatian esthete recites his football to perfection and invariably ends up playing hostile opponents in the midfield. By dint of flamboyant performances, the star of Real Madrid has almost even managed to relegate to the background the scandal of corruption affecting Croatian football in which he is entangled. Here are 10 things to know about an awesome player, close to the gold ball and risky jail.
1 Indicted
The victories have somewhat extinguished the controversy. But all the preparation of the Croatian team was rotten by a corruption scandal. The case has a name: Zdravko Mamic. This former leader of Dinamo Zagreb and true sponsor of Croatian football – it is said that Davor Suker, legendary player and current president of the local Fed is his straw man – was sentenced in early June to six and a half years in prison for corruption and malpractices in transfers of players, including that of Luka Modric in Tottenham for 20 million euros. A big money story in which the playmaker got entangled. In the summer of 2017, he is summoned to the Mamic trial. Justice suspects him of having served false testimony to save his former boss. Charged, he faces up to five years in prison.
2 "The Foam of the Croats"
Result: in the country, not everyone is happy to see the selection having fun in Russia. Since testifying at the Mamic trial, the ultras of Hajduk Split, Dinamo Zagreb's rival, has treated Modric as "little shit" and other bird names. This summer, in Mostar, a city in Bosnia where number 10 played, a fresco in his honor was vandalized. The tag says: " Even if you make us win the world title, you're still the scum of the Croats."
3 Refugee
Little Luka was only six years old when his grandfather, a shepherd, was murdered by Serbian militia on the slopes of the Velebit Massif. It is the beginning of the war of independence for Croatia which will make nearly 20.000 deaths between 1991 and 1995. With his family, Luka Modric lands in a hotel for refugees of Zadar, coastal city. This is where he slams his first juggles. It is also here, that after his dubious testimony in front of justice, a banner will be put saying: "Luka, you will remember this day."
This is the hotel in Zadar where the Modri? family used to live as war refugees. "Luka, you will remember this one day" (via @Jutarnji ) pic.twitter.com/LcjYcMejyY
– Aleksandar Holiga (@AlexHoliga) June 14, 2017
] 4 Bombs
"Lukita", as he was known as a child, plays his first game at NK Zadar. "I had heard about a hyperactive little boy who, in a hotel hallway, kept kicking a ball and slept with it," said Josip Bajlo, then coach of the first team. The phenomenon hatched in a terrifying atmosphere: the training ground was sometimes hit by missiles from the surrounding hills. Marijan Buljat, a comrade of Luka Modric also trained at NK Zadar. remembers:
" It happened millions of times that the bombs began to fall while we were training, forcing us to run to the shelters."
5 Too pungent
Football often hesitates with small jigs. Croatian football first doubted its phenomenon. The player was kicked back by the Hadjuk Split and even a time by the NK Zadar. Too small, too frail. He " will spend long weeks hanging on bars, legs hanging in the air, to try to increase its size," says France Football in a portrait published last September.
6 Sochaux
The anecdote will undoubtedly make yellow the ultras Sochaux-Montbelliard FC. In 2003, the Bosnian Mecha Bazdarevic, then recruiter for the French club, goes to supervise a player in his country. He returns to marvel at an 18-year-old named Modric. "But he was already too old to bring him to the training center," the coach told France Foot. Too old but above all too expensive – 5 million euros – for the budget Franche-Comté. Three years later, the FCSM will recruit another Croatian, Ivan Perisic, who will hold Sunday night in Russia.
7 Balkan Cruyff
He was revealed to Europe ten years ago. It was during the Euro 2008 in Austria. In the last group match, Croatia brings down Germany and the future crack regale. The blond is only 22 years old but already the ease of the greatest. And since they have almost the same haircut, the "little prince" wins the nickname "Cruyff of the Balkans". Three months later, he signed in Tottenham for 20 million euros. This is the biggest transfer of the English club.
8 Worst rookie
After conquering fans of the Spurs for four years and muscling his game on the Premier League grounds, Croatian signs in the summer of 2012 in the biggest club: the Real Madrid. For 40 million euros. But it starts badly. The Madrid fans, known for their intransigence, are not really excited. He is designated "worst rookie" of the summer, with the defector of Barça Alexandre Song, defensive midfielder with much less fine technique. But Modric does not panic. On March 7, on the field of Old Trafford, in the eighth finals, he planted a decisive goal which he has the secret and will conquer the public Merengue.
9 Tax evasion
After Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric was also accused of tax evasion. According to Spanish justice, the star of Real Madrid would have used a Luxembourg-based shell company to evade the tax on income earned under the right to image. In all, he would have subtracted from the national solidarity nearly 900,000 euros. Pursued for fraud, he finally advanced justice by paying the tax 1 million euros – the amount requested and late payments. Or when the "little prince" plays it to the great prince.
10 Ballon d'Or?
Will he win the timpani under the nose and beard of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Since 2011, the two stars reign supreme on the trophy of best player of the world. But if he scores much less than the two goalscorers, the Croatian has a lot of arguments. He has already achieved a much better course than they did in the World Cup – the Argentinian and the Portuguese having not gone beyond the knockout stages. And he won the Champions League with his club – it's his fourth. It could be enough.
Remy Dodet
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