On Monday, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic made a passionate plea to star midfielder Luka Modric to remain with the national team despite mounting rumors that the captain would end his career in international soccer.
The statements that Dalic made were made a day after Croatia was defeated by Spain in the final of the Nations League in Rotterdam 5-4 on penalties.
Dalic told reporters upon his return to Zagreb, “We need him, this is a generation that still did not complete the job,” referring to the former president.
The player for Real Madrid is most well-known for guiding Croatia to a third-place finish at the World Cup in 2018 and a second-place finish in the tournament held in Qatar in 2017.
When Croatia faced Spain, a squad that Modric, now 37 years old, is quite familiar with, they were competing for their first major prize ever.
Following the heartbreaking loss, photographs of the downcast midfielder appeared on the top pages of newspapers all around Croatia on Monday.
According to Dalic, “yesterday was quite an emotional experience for him.”
“Let him rest, and he will tell us what he thinks,” the coach said further.
According to sources in the local media, Modric said that he had already made a “clear decision” on his international career on Sunday, although he did not comment more on his statement.
Modric was quoted as saying, “I will not announce it today,” as he was exiting the stadium in Rotterdam.
Since making his international debut in 2006, Modric has appeared in 166 matches for Croatia.