Real Madrid captain Luka Modric has confirmed he will leave the Spanish giants after the conclusion of their FIFA Club World Cup campaign this summer, bringing an end to a legendary 12-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 39-year-old Croatian midfielder and 2018 Ballon d’Or winner will play his final home game for Madrid on Saturday, May 24, when they host Real Sociedad in their last La Liga match of the season.
“The moment has arrived. The moment I never wanted to come, but that’s football, and in life, everything has a beginning and an end,” Modric said in an emotional farewell post on Instagram.
Modric joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 and leaves as one of the club’s most decorated players, having won 28 major trophies, including six UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns.
“I arrived in 2012 with the hope of wearing the jersey of the best team in the world and the ambition to do great things, but I couldn’t have imagined what came next,” he added.
“Playing for Real Madrid changed my life as a footballer and as a person. I’m proud to have been part of one of the most successful eras of the best club in history.”
Modric has contributed two goals and six assists in 34 league appearances this season and was ever-present during Madrid’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Arsenal.
His departure marks the end of an iconic era, as manager Carlo Ancelotti is also set to leave at the end of the campaign. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is reportedly lined up to take over the reins at Madrid.
