Modrić: Mourinho's insistence brought me to Madrid, my only regret is not working longer with him

Modrić, Real Madrid legend, was interviewed by Roneiro at Milanello, AC Milan's training center. He spoke about his life in Milan and his decision to continue playing, reflected on his career at Real Madrid, and discussed Mourinho, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Bellingham, Vinícius, and the possibility of returning to Real Madrid in the future. This is the third part of the exclusive interview.

Modrić: I believe Cristiano Ronaldo can definitely reach 1,000 goals; I haven't yet decided if I'll continue my career with the national team

Speaking of coaches, let's jump to another golden period in your life, your time at Real Madrid. Mourinho is back. He was the coach who insisted on signing you at that time, telling Florentino: "President, we have to sign this young man, we have to sign this young man." Back then, you almost had to rebel at Tottenham because they weren't willing to let you pursue your dream of joining Real Madrid. Now it seems Mourinho has reignited the passion at the Bernabéu and within the team itself, and we're seeing a new Real Madrid. Since you know him, tell me first what happened when you joined Real Madrid. How did he call you and how did he convince you with his personality? Also, do you think Mourinho can really help Real Madrid recover the competitive passion that fans have been missing?

Yes, absolutely. From the first matches, it was clear that this is a different Real Madrid, a Real Madrid that makes you afraid, and I really like that.

I think the club's decision to choose Mourinho is very correct. Considering this team and all aspects, I think he's the best choice for this position. He knows this place, he's a winner, and he has an incredible personality. And I have a special feeling for him because he brought me to Real Madrid, which was the most important factor for me joining Real Madrid.

He told the club back then: "I want him, or nobody."

He was very firm!

You see? That's why I finally managed to join Real Madrid. According to the negotiations at that time, if it weren't for his persistence, Real Madrid could have backed out long ago due to the many complications during the negotiations.

So I have deep feelings and great respect for him. My only regret is not being able to work with him longer.

Just one year.

Yes, but in that year, I learned a lot, including how to do my job better, how to fight, and how to give my best...

The way he prepares for matches is really incredible. When you step on the pitch, you know exactly what will happen next. I think he's the best choice, he'll bring a lot of joy to Real Madrid fans, and Real Madrid will be very dangerous in every competition.

Mourinho is a special person to me because he made great effort to sign me, and you never forget something like that. For him, I'm willing to do whatever he needs.

Although we don't communicate much now, we still exchange messages sometimes, and I always wish him the best. I think he's now in the right place because he's at the best club in the world, and he himself is one of the best coaches in history. This combination is very good and will certainly scare the others.

Yes, absolutely. Barcelona may be more worried now, just like last time. When Mourinho first arrived at Real Madrid, they were up against an apparently invincible Barcelona managed by Guardiola. Then came that famous Copa del Rey final and that record-breaking La Liga season, which undoubtedly stopped the bleeding at the time. Now, although not in the Champions League, Barcelona has won two consecutive La Liga titles, and if they manage a third, it would be difficult for Real Madrid to accept. However, people now feel that with Mourinho there, Barcelona will have a much harder time, and the situation has already started to change.

Definitely. But Real Madrid should never look at what other teams are doing, but rather focus on itself.

Barcelona may be Real Madrid's biggest rival, but Real Madrid should concentrate on its own business. Other teams should worry about Real Madrid, not Real Madrid about other teams. It's always been that way, at least in my era, and even before that. That's why Real Madrid is so great.

In Milan, people adore you. You can see how much everyone loves you at San Siro, but Real Madrid fans haven't forgotten you either. Every time before a Real Madrid match, I still see many Modrić shirts at the Bernabéu. I imagine you often recall that farewell scene with Ancelotti. Do you realize that a part of your heart still remains there? For Real Madrid fans, even though you went to Milan, you will always be a legend. They still follow you, celebrate Milan's victories for your sake, and hope you win.

That's really incredible. I said something when I said goodbye...

What did you say?

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Yes, that's it.

After that, I also said that although I've won many trophies, I believe my greatest trophy is the love given to me by Real Madrid fans. Facing so much affection, it's very difficult for me to find the right words to express my gratitude.

I felt that from the first day, even during the somewhat difficult period when I arrived. Whether in the stands or walking on the street, I could feel that people liked me, and that feeling deepened over time. For me, that's more important than any trophy.

You won 6 Champions League titles with Real Madrid and a total of 28 trophies. You're the player with the most trophies in Real Madrid's history, one more than Carvajal, although you won relatively fewer La Liga titles in that era. Not long ago, I watched Mourinho's interview with Pedrerol on La Sexta. When asked about the Negreira case, José said he didn't know who Negreira was at the time, but he "felt that something was wrong." You lived through that period firsthand—have you ever wondered why you won more Champions League titles than La Liga titles? Now that the Negreira case is known, looking back, did you ever feel anything unusual about refereeing decisions during that time?

Well, I don't know. Honestly, this subject is really unusual. I don't want to delve into this topic because I don't like talking about these things.

As for why we won more Champions League titles than La Liga titles during my era? I think it's because we weren't as focused day in, day out, in every round of the league. We always felt there was still time to correct things, but in the Champions League, we knew we couldn't afford to make mistakes.

The reason we could do those things in the Champions League is because we knew that if you made a mistake, you'd go home. In La Liga, we always felt we could recover lost points later, but Barcelona was very strong at the time and wouldn't give us a chance to catch up. So I think that's why we won fewer La Liga titles than Champions League titles during that period. But I wouldn't change anything.

Winning more Champions League titles is still better than winning more La Liga titles.

Yes. The Champions League is the trophy everyone wants to win, and having 6 Champions League titles is really remarkable, so I wouldn't change anything.

But you just said the Negreira case was "unusual"...

Yes, it's certainly unusual, but I didn't pay much attention to it. It is indeed unusual, but I think we also bear our own responsibility for not winning more La Liga titles.

Traduzido por IA.

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