Croatian captain Luka Modrić has revealed an episode from his youth and his failed attempt to join Hajduk Split, a topic that has often been discussed.
In an emotional moment, Modrić shared how the opportunity to join Hajduk was a childhood dream of his, especially because of his family’s close ties to the club.
“In Dalmatia, more or less everyone is a Hajduk supporter. That’s how I was, especially my father. I got the chance to go to Hajduk for training, to transfer and play for them. My father arranged it without Zadar’s involvement and without the knowledge of the late Tomislav Bašić,” said Luka Modrić.
However, this dream did not unfold the way he had hoped.
“I went there with the friend of my current brother-in-law, and we stayed for about two weeks. We played several matches and had training sessions. After playing a few games, they decided it was too early for me and that it wasn’t the right time yet,” he continued.
He admits that this decision was a blow for him, but in the end, it pushed him forward.
“I truly had a lot of confidence in myself. That rejection motivated me. I didn’t care about other people’s opinions, especially the negative ones. Football is not only about strength and height, football is so much more. You don’t need to be 1.90 tall, you don’t need to run 100 meters fast. Football is technique, mind, feeling.”
