Croatian media news: Modric will renew his contract with Milan for one year this week, after meeting with new national team coach Slaven Bilić, and his national team career may see a turning point.

According to this newspaper, Modric will officially renew his contract with Milan for one year this week. This news itself is already a footballing focal point, but in Croatia, it has also sparked another question that has persisted for months: Is Modric's national team career really over?

The answer is not as clear as it was during the World Cup. Even though Modric previously tended to retire from the national team, the situation changed after Slaven Bilić took over as coach. It is reported that the new coach recently had a long talk with the captain, and the discussion very likely involved a transitional idea – not to rush into a "clean break," but rather to let Modric gradually bid farewell in a gentle manner.

In an era that champions "revolutionary purges," Bilić clearly has a different approach. He believes there is no need to forcibly "administratively dismiss" the greatest player in Croatian football history from the national team. On the contrary, there is a general consensus within the Croatian Football Federation that, at least in the initial training camps, Modric's presence is crucial for both continuity and transition. This is not just nostalgia, but pragmatism.

Therefore, a plan is being brewed: Modric may remain with the team during the autumn Nations League training camps to help the team "peel off" the heavy "bandage" that will inevitably be left after his departure. If he is willing and it does not hinder the growth of young players, then why artificially set a deadline?

In fact, discussions surrounding when Modric would bid farewell to the national team have been ongoing for nearly eight years, but the answer has been continuously postponed – because he has always been irreplaceable. And he himself still feels he can play and is willing to play.

Coincidentally, in contrast to Portugal's long-standing dilemma of "what to do without Ronaldo," the problem facing the Croatian public seems to be: why rush him out? The national team has largely completed its generational transition, and the locker room does not welcome the idea of losing its leader of over a decade overnight. If Modric stays, he will not hinder the new direction; instead, he will become a bridge connecting two eras.

No final decision has been made yet. But renewing his contract with Milan undoubtedly adds a new variable to this choice.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com