Luka Modric has taken an extraordinary path to the World Cup final — from fleeing his home as a child during Croatia’s war of independence to global superstar status. Croatia’s captain has also overcome the challenge of a relatively fragile physique to become one of the world’s best players.
As a child refugee Modric honed his skills in a cratered hotel car park with nobody watching but on Sunday an estimated global audience of one billion will tune in to watch Croatia take on France in Moscow. “A boy training under shells and growing up during war knows no fear,” Marijan Buljat, Modric’s friend and childhood team-mate at NK Zadar told AFP. “It is ugly to go thorough this, but eventually he showed how strong he is in all situations. This all contributes to him being fearless and becoming one of the best in the world.”
A career that would eventually take him to four Champions League wins with Real Madrid via Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and Croatia’s biggest club Dinamo Zagreb, began on the Adriatic coast in Zadar, where Modric took refuge from Serbian forces. “He is mentally a very strong character,” said Josip Bajlo, his former coach.
Modric finished his club season by lifting the Champions League title but Croatia’s build-up to the World Cup was overshadowed by a court case. The midfielder was charged in March over alleged false testimony he gave in the case that saw Croatian football kingpin Zdravko Mamic sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.
Modric’s indictment still has to be formally approved by a Croatian court and he is not currently facing arrest. But his performances in Russia — where he has been named man-of-the match three times — have enhanced his status as a national hero.