Luka Modric: Croatian legend to leave Real Madrid after Fifa Club World Cup

Although Modric has been playing less than he has done for most of his Real Madrid career, he is the kind of player that can affect things because he becomes a magnet for the team.

He may have felt he was being useful at some points, but football is heading in a different direction now – you need to cover a lot of ground for instance. Look at Pedri who is the number one retriever of possession at Barcelona and runs more than anybody else. Modric can’t do that anymore.

He has been the one who has been pushing to stay put but Real had doubts. They listened to the player, the fans, read the room and felt it wasn’t time yet. But everybody was prepared for his departure.

Modric, however, has been an exemplary professional.

Perhaps his most difficult time was when Carlo Ancelotti told him and Toni Kroos that he was going to change things and the club had decided to go for a more physical and dynamic midfield with Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga.

Kroos managed to turn things around and became a very important part of the team, but Modric had a phase on the bench.

During the last couple of years, his situation has left him a bit uneasy. He didn’t know where he stood. He felt he could play 90 minutes more often. It was a nightmare for him but this season, he has understood his role better and has been their leader.

But ultimately, this will have been a decision taken by the club. Xabi Alonso would have agreed to it but it’s a club decision, first of all. The way Alonso’s teams play requires a lot of effort which he cannot ask of Modric.

It also feels like the end of an era.

There is a new culture that has to be set for this team. Ancelotti has struggled with the fractions and egos in the team and by getting Modric out, you can build for new leaders – and that might be Real’s thinking.