Former Croatia national football team player Ivan Rakitić, who currently works in the sporting department of HNK Hajduk Split, was a guest on the Spanish radio show El Programa de Ortega.
In an interview with host Vicente Ortega, he spoke about several current football topics, including the departure of Luka Modrić from Spanish football and his own time at FC Barcelona.
Rakitić shared the midfield for many years with Modrić in the Croatian national team and still admires his career and qualities today. Currently, Modrić plays for AC Milan.
“He is different from many others. It’s not a coincidence, because he takes great care of himself and prepares in an extraordinary way. In the end, those who work hard deserve success,” said Rakitić.
According to him, Modrić is still enjoying football and continues to be an example for other players.
“He is happy, satisfied and enjoying football, and that is the most important thing. We hope he enjoys it for as long as possible. His departure was a big mistake not only for Real Madrid but for all of Spanish football, because I think they should have insisted much more for him to stay,” the Croatian said.
Rakitić also added that Modrić’s experience proves that age is not always a decisive factor in football.
“Looking at the situation in Madrid, I think the coach would be happy to still have him in the team. I’m sorry because we often look only at the players’ age, while Luka shows that football has no age,” Rakitić concluded. ⚽
