June 24th 2024.
In a recent interview, veteran soccer player Luka Modric made it clear that he has no plans of retiring anytime soon. Despite Croatia's disappointing performance at Euro 2024, where they were on the brink of elimination, the 38-year-old midfielder remains determined to keep playing. He even made history by becoming the oldest goalscorer in the European Championship, scoring against Italy just seconds after missing a penalty.
A victory against Italy would have secured Croatia a spot in the last 16 as the second-place finishers in Group B, behind Spain. However, their hopes were dashed when Italy managed to snatch a last-minute equalizer, resulting in a 1-1 draw. With only two points in the group stage, it is highly unlikely that Croatia will advance as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Modric recently signed a one-year contract extension with Real Madrid, but he admits that he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing. "I'd love to keep playing forever, but I know there will come a time when I have to hang up my boots," he said after the match against Italy. When asked if this could be his last appearance for Croatia, Modric replied, "We'll see. It's not time for those discussions yet."
Despite his disappointment with the team's performance, Modric was proud of their efforts and was visibly upset when he posed with the Player of the Match trophy. In a separate interview, he described the result against Italy as "cruel" and expressed his frustration with the decision to add eight minutes of injury time. "Football can be cruel sometimes, and it was clearly shown to us today. We didn't deserve to concede that goal, and I don't understand where the eight minutes came from," he said.
Modric also addressed his record of being the oldest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship, saying, "The title means nothing to me when it didn't help the team. We fought like lions, but football was cruel to us. Conceding two goals in the last seconds is hard to take, and it will take some time for us to process this." Despite the disappointment, Modric remains determined to keep playing and contributing to his team's success.
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