“He Has Shown His Qualities, It’s No Coincidence That He’s Signed Up For A Top Club”

Written By Onyeka Daniel

With the international break still in full swing, it was a double joy for the Croatian national team as they secured a 4-0 home win over Montenegro to put them into assured footing to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup while also celebrating 40th birthday for Luka Modric.

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For the veteran midfielder who made a summer move from Real Madrid to AC Milan as a free agent, the midfielder was full of praise for compatriot Petar Sucic, who joined Inter at the start of the summer transfer window and they’re set to go head to head in the league.

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Modric started in midfield alongside Sucic for Croatia’s win over Montenegro in World Cup qualifying on Monday night. Having come off the bench in a 1-0 victory over the Faroe Islands on Friday, he is now up to 190 caps for his country while also celebrating another year.

The legendary former Ballon d’Or winner spoke to SportMediaset after the win and was asked for his thoughts on his midfield partner Petar Sucic, who will return to being a rival now that their international commitments are done for the month. “He’s a very strong player and a great guy,” Modric told SportMediaset.

“We’ve already played together before, and he’s shown his qualities. It’s no coincidence that he’s signed for a top club like Inter. You will certainly get to know him a bit better and see his talent. He can still improve, I enjoy playing with him and I hope that he always continues to improve, even if we will face each other in the derby soon, we will see how he treats me.”

“Let’s hope he respects me and doesn’t go too quickly,” Modric joked. “But for the moment, I’m enjoying playing with him.” Then came perhaps the most meaningful compliment of Modric’s interview: “Our generation felt unrepeatable, it achieved incredible results, but there are young players like him who could reach even higher heights.” He further added.

In a related development, former Chelsea assistant Luca Gotti has revealed that Milan midfielder, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is one of a kind and will transform if he feels trust from the dressing room, but he hasn’t grown in certain aspects as he spoke about the former Chelsea midfielder.

Loftus-Cheek received his first England call-up in over six years during the September break and Gotti, one of Maurizio Sarri’s assistants at Chelsea in 2018-19, worked with the player during that season at Stamford Bridge, seeing the England midfielder score 10 goals across all competitions.

“Ruben is a special guy, really one of a kind,” Gotti told Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview. “He had the skills and plays of a real phenomenon, but let’s just say it depended on how the sun was shining and how strong he felt inside. Believe in me, he had qualities I’ve never found in any other player.”

“He’s got an incredible shot and top-notch playing timing when making runs into the box. He’s a vertical, modern player. What impressed me the most was how he became dominant when he felt the trust of the dressing room; he would transform,” Gotti continued.

Loftus-Cheek was also a popular figure inside the Chelsea dressing room. “Surely, that was another plus. I remember Ruben always smiling and joking with everyone. Sometimes in the locker room, they’d even play tricks on him, but he had incredible kindness and a great sense of respect.” He continued.

”Let me tell you this: once I ran into the training ground two hours after practice and asked, ‘What are you still doing here?’ He had stayed two hours taking pictures and signing autographs with the fans. ‘I was one of them just a few years ago,’ he told me. You see what I mean?”

Loftus-Cheek has scored one goal in two Serie A appearances this season after struggling in previous ones and seems to have become a starter under new Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri after a positive pre-season. “I’ve known Max for many years; we have a great relationship.”

“The first thing I thought was that Allegri, as a player, covered exactly that role. Ruben has much more strength and power, but I see him fitting well in Milan’s midfield.” He said. What’s the best way to deploy Loftus-Cheek? “I think he should be given the freedom to express himself,” Gotti answered.

“He has great bursts and is explosive, but you need to avoid boxing him too much. At Chelsea, for example, Sarri placed a lot of emphasis on the defensive phase, but in his 4-3-3 system, the midfielders had enough freedom to attack the spaces and go for goal and I’d say the results were clear to see.”

There are, however, still a few shortcomings Loftus-Cheek needs to improve, according to Gotti. “The fact that he hasn’t grown in certain aspects. I’m talking about Ruben as a young man. Six years have passed, and I still see him a big behind in some areas.” He revealed.

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“I’m thinking of concentrating over the 90 minutes, maintaining consistency, and becoming increasingly effective. He has to learn to keep the light on for as long as possible throughout the match. Because when he shines, he’s a joy to watch.” the ex-Lecce and Udinese coach concluded.

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