At 37 years old, Luka Modric is by far the oldest player in the semi-finals in the Nations League between Croatia and the Netherlands on Wednesday evening. Yet the Real Madrid midfielder doesn’t necessarily feel that way. On Tuesday, he looked forward to the conclusion of the Nations League full of ambition.
Modric about Croatia’s Nations League goals
“I feel young,” Modric told NOS. “I feel good, both physically and mentally. That is the most important. I don’t have a secret, and if I had a secret I wouldn’t tell it, I just enjoy what I do. I like football, it’s my life, I still do everything for it. That love is the most important.”
Modric’s trophy cabinet is already quite filled with, among other things, a Ballon d’Or and five Champions League titles, but a prize with Croatia is still missing. “The Nations League would mean a lot. It is already a great success for us that we are in the last four. It’s not easy to get this far. We were in a difficult group with France, Denmark and Austria. In the end we reached the Final Four with great play,” he added.
“That is already a great success,” says Modric. “But now we are here with the aim of winning. We play against the Netherlands. That’s a fantastic team. The other two teams are also top teams. It’s going to be tough, but we’re ready. We want to win, we are very excited and confident. Our goal is to win, that would be incredible.”
Koeman explains why he doesn’t think it’s strange that Blind is with Orange
Another veteran, Daley Blind has barely played at Bayern Munich, but is still eligible for minutes with the Dutch national team. National coach Ronald Koeman provides text and explanation.
Blind played only four league games at Bayern and therefore has no match rhythm. Nevertheless, he was brought into the selection by Koeman after the loss of Matthijs de Ligt. “I think he has always been a player who belonged to the Dutch national team. The lack of playing time was the reason he was excluded from the 23-man squad, but he has shown to be super fit during this period. Then he is an alternative if something needs to be changed,” says Koeman at the NOS.
“Is it strange that he is there? You may think so, but I don’t. I look at quality, input and experience in positions. It can be used in several positions. It could be different after the summer, if that is still the case,” says Koeman. The Netherlands will play the semi-final of the Nations League against Croatia on Wednesday evening.
