An emotional tribute to Modrić at the Bernabéu
“I have won many trophies, but the greatest is the affection and love you have given me over all these years,” said the Madrid legend, who played his last game in our stadium and received the affection of his teammates and the fans.
Luka Modrić experienced an emotional tribute at the Santiago Bernabéu in what was his last game in our stadium. His teammates and the Real Madrid fans gave the legend a farewell with honours. As the most successful player in our club’s history with 28 titles, he announced on 22 May that he will end an unforgettable period as a player for our club at the end of the Club World Cup.
The Santiago Bernabéu welcomed our captain in the build-up to the match against Real Sociedad by unfurling a large banner in the south stand with the image of the midfielder next to the Champions League trophy surrounded by a laurel leaf, and on which could be read: “Thank you legend”. A giant Real Madrid shirt with the number ‘10’ on the back, the number worn by our captain, could also be seen in the centre of the pitch.
In the 85th minute, the fans gave Modrić a standing ovation as he was replaced by Chema. The extraordinary Croatian footballer left the field embracing several teammates and the match was halted so that both Real Madrid and Real Sociedad could give him a guard of honour. On the bench, he gave a warm and affectionate hug to Toni Kroos, who retired from football on this same stage last season.
Modrić: “There are no words to thank you for everything you have given me over the years”
As the game finished, the tribute continued. After an emotional video was shown on the stadium's video scoreboards, an emotional Modrić made his way to the centre of the pitch and said: “The moment I never wanted to come has arrived. It has been a long journey, but a wonderful one. I wanted to thank the club and president Florentino Pérez. Also, to all the coaches over the years, to my teammates who have accompanied me on this journey and to the people who have helped me during this time. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I also want to thank my family, because without them all this would not be possible”.
“We have won a lot and it’s been a wonderful time. I have won many trophies, but the biggest one is the love and affection you have given me over all these years. There are no words to thank you for everything you’ve given me over the years. I want to say a phrase that I've seen and that I like a lot: ‘Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened’. Hala Madrid and nothing else!”
Afterwards, he was given a standing ovation by the squad and made an unforgettable lap of honour around the Bernabéu accompanied by his partner, his three children and his team-mates. Before leaving the pitch, he immortalised the moment with a family photo and, together with Ancelotti, they walked with arms around each other to the centre of the pitch. There, they received a standing ovation from a Bernabéu devoted to two of its legends.
Thank you Luka!