Italian media: The first question asked by the "Saxophone King" to Milan was "Are you aiming for the championship?" The road to reconstruction is still long. [xueting]
2025-07-16
Live Sports News 7/16: According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, when Modric communicated with Milan, the first question he asked was whether the team was aiming for a championship.
On his first day as a player for Milan, Modric has already achieved great success in the media realm. In an interview with the club's media, he said: "I'm very happy to be here, ready to take on major challenges and look forward to starting a new chapter in my career. Why did I choose Milan? Because it's a great club."
The 40-year-old Modric, who is about to turn 40 in September, is clearly in the later stage of his career. Although his best form is in the past, the head coach Allegri firmly believes that although he cannot solve all the problems that emerged three months ago, which included the team finishing 8th in Serie A and losing key player Reindes, his leadership both on the field and in the locker room will be extremely valuable.
Alessi believes that this Milan team urgently needs a role model, just like the impact brought by Ibrahimovic's return in January 2020. Two years later, that team eventually won its 19th Serie A trophy. For this reason, Ibrahimovic, who is currently an advisor to Milan, strongly supports the plan proposed by the sports director Tare to introduce Modric.
Tare also disclosed key details: "During the phone conversation, Modric's first question was, 'Did the team form with the aim of winning the championship?'"
Obviously, Magistretti's mindset and aura are impeccable. His illustrious career at Real Madrid is ample proof of this. Despite receiving a sky-high offer from Saudi Arabia, he still chose to remain in the European arena.
Although this deal is not a future-oriented investment, Modric is well-versed in self-management. Last season, he played in 65 games without any muscle injuries. Under Allegri's 4-3-3 system, he was tasked with covering all positions in the midfield. The coach believed that his masterful long-passing skills could perfectly activate Leo's deep sprinting ability.
Although the prospects are promising, the transfer process in Milan is still slow. After the departures of the two key players Reinards and Theo, Modric was only the second signing after Ricci. The team still needs to add two fullbacks, one center-back, one defensive midfielder and one center-forward. Modric's arrival is like a classic move of Milan in the past, injecting passion into the team, but the rebuilding process is still long.