Modrić, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, arrived at the ceremony accompanied by his two children.
“Having a champion like this in Serie A is a great thing for our football,” said Urbano Cairo, president of the publishing house RCS MediaGroup, presenting him with an award for his achievements so far. The “Gazzetta Sports Awards” award has been awarded since 2015.
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner and six-time European champion with Real Madrid, Modrić arrived in Milan this summer.
“I’m happy because I’m playing for a club that I consider the biggest in Italy. I enjoy every day at the Milanella sports camp and wearing the Rossoneri jersey. I didn’t think I’d be able to come to AC Milan when I was at Real Madrid, but sometimes in life things happen when you least expect them. It was a dream come true because I’ve been an AC Milan fan since childhood,” Modrić told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
In the current part of the season, he played 16 games, scored one goal and registered two assists.
“I feel good, physically and mentally, and I enjoy what I do. I want to continue like this because I enjoy it. Everything is going the way I wanted,” he added.
Milan currently holds the top of the table, but has the same number of points as Napoli, while Inter is one point behind.
“I think we’re doing a good job, and the goal is not to give up, even though many teams are fighting for first place. It’s difficult, but we’re moving forward with confidence,” said Modrić. He added that the Italian league is tough and competitive, but that he is ready for challenges because that is exactly the atmosphere he expected. He especially praised the cooperation with coach Massimiliano Allegri.
“He is a great coach, a winner. I enjoy working with him, and he surprised me with his personality. He has the ability to create a relationship with the dressing room because he is used to leading great champions. He helps you do your best and makes you feel calm, which makes your job easier on the field,” he emphasized.
Modrić says that he and his family are doing well in Milan, a city where he “understands Italian”, and plans to learn it over time.
In front of the captain of Croatia is preparation for the World Cup, where his national team will play against England, Panama and Ghana.
“England is one of the strongest national teams, but we don’t underestimate anyone. We are in a difficult group and we have to prepare well. But the World Cup is still far away, and now I have to focus on the present and on AC Milan because I want to continue on this path,” he said.
Speaking about Italy, which will play additional qualifiers for the World Cup, Modrić said that it would be “a tragedy to miss the third championship in a row”.
“The playoffs are always difficult, but I hope that Italy will qualify,” he concluded.
(Vijesti.ba)
