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Real Madrid legend Luka Modrić revealed it was very hard for him to see fellow Croatia international Mateo Kovačić leave Los Blancos for Chelsea back in 2018, describing the midfielder as “someone truly special.”
Modrić and Kovačić played three seasons together at Real Madrid from 2015 to 2018, winning the Champions League every season they played together in Spain’s capital. Still, Kovačić played a secondary role during his time in a white shirt and decided to leave the club, something Modrić lamented dearly.
“It was hard for me when he left because Mateo [Kovačić] is someone truly special to me,” Modrić said on the Ne)uspjeh prvaka podcast. “In that period at Real [Madrid], he was, in my view, one of the best players, although he may disagree.
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“Even if he wasn’t the main protagonist the whole time, he played outstanding matches and was very important. He wanted to be the protagonist, to be on the pitch constantly, the way Toni [Kroos], Casemiro and I were, but he still played phenomenal football.”
Kovačić left on loan to Chelsea ahead the 2018–19 season. After a successful debut term, the Blues signed him permanently for £40 million (€45 million, $51 million) in the summer of 2019. The midfielder eventually went on to join Manchester City in the summer of 2023.
Despite their club careers taking different avenues, both Modrić and Kovačić kept sharing the pitch at the international level, becoming integral pieces of Croatia’s golden generation that made the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, securing the best result in the nation’s history. Four years later, Croatia nearly replicated that success, finishing third at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“From the very beginning,” Modrić explained. “From the moment he [Kovačić] came to the national team, we created an exceptional relationship, a chemistry that lasts to this day, even after he left Real Madrid.
“At Real Madrid, we became even closer, but often when someone leaves, paths naturally separate. With him, it became even stronger actually. So it’s not just a friendship, but also a bond through family ties, and because of that, you miss all those players who left at certain moments”
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Kovačić went on to win his fourth career Champions League during his time at Chelsea. Meanwhile Modrić lifted another two to up his tally to six career Champions League triumphs, leaving Real Madrid after the 2024–25 season as one of the greatest players in club history.
Their friendship remains firm, evidenced by Modrić reportedly having dinner with Kovačić at Man City’s hotel after the pair faced off in the Champions League back in March.
In the end, the success enjoyed by both players during their careers is staggering and the pair will go down as two of the greatest midfielders Croatia has ever produced when it’s all said and done.
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