Luka Modric was willing to do everything possible to stay with Real Madrid for another year, but that wasn’t enough for President Florentino Perez to grant him a new contract.
This is what AS reported, revealing that Modric almost groveled and made every possible concession to Real Madrid, but was surprised by the club’s decision to dispense with his services.
According to the report, Modric informed Real Madrid’s management of his acceptance of a further reduction in his annual salary to continue until the 2026 World Cup.
Not only that, but the 38-year-old also confirmed that he would accept a permanent bench position just to conclude his club career with the Royal Club.
Modric also spoke with new coach Xabi Alonso to discuss his situation. The former Bayer Leverkusen coach assured him that he wanted him to stay, and he also informed the club’s management of this.
However, despite all these attempts, Real Madrid’s management never contacted Modric, and Florentino Pérez almost completely avoided any meeting with the Croatian legend.
Ultimately, despite Alonso’s attempts in recent days to convince the management to keep Modric, the player was informed on Thursday that his contract would not be renewed.
Modric accepted the decision and was not hurt, recognizing that he was getting older and that the club was undergoing a period of change and renewal. However, he was certainly disappointed that his original plan had collapsed.
It is worth noting that Modric will not retire from football. He is expected to move to a new club for a free year this summer, then participate in the World Cup with Croatia, and then end his career.
