A large family, consisting of three generations, sat on the floor strewn with stones and bricks. Everyone’s face was blank and scared. A few steps away from them was the bed, the only thing intact and probably the family’s shelter during the bombardment.

This air strike may not be everything. Because after that there was a bombardment with machine guns. Bullets rained down from the surrounding hills, engulfing the parking lot that the children still used as a soccer field. When the chaos stops, little Luka Modric with a shy smile will step out, pick up the ball and begin an amazing journey.

But when he turned the doorknob to step out, what he saw was smoke, dust and ashes. They covered the blue sky and formed strange clouds, as if trying to hide the shadow of war. Gray sidewalks, jagged bomb craters and a few rudimentary houses, looking abandoned like those on the Moon. From those ashes, 6-year-old Luka began a journey to create beauty.

Like a shuttle on a woven carpet, the dark past slowly drifts behind. Goals, assists, and passes will help strengthen confidence. And how strange it is that little Modric, even though he witnessed the scene of birth and death early on, still has freedom and innocence. And when Modric runs, those are truly joyful steps.

Born in 1985 in the Modrici region, a small suburb on the slopes of the Velebit range, Luka Modric’s childhood at first glance was similar to that of thousands of other children. His parents, Mr. Stipe and Mrs. Radojka, had to work hard in the metallurgical factory, so the eldest boy Luka was left to his grandfather, who was still affectionately called Old Luka. An old man and a young man are so closely attached to each other that people think it is impossible to separate Luka from the arms of his respected grandfather.

Contrary to the peace inside the house, the land outside is immersed in conflict. Rebellions demanding autonomy have begun. Croats, still known as part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, were tired of foreign rule and craved their own sovereignty. At the same time, many Serbian citizens living in Croatia vehemently opposed this separatist action, demanding that the lands declared to belong to Serbia be returned to their owners. When negotiations fail, armed conflict is inevitable.

In an instant, Luka’s hometown became one of the strategic fronts of the war, and his father was drafted into the Croatian army. But disaster only really struck on December 18, 1991. Old Luka, like every day, crossed the hilltop next to his house with his cattle. But today, just halfway there, he was discovered and arrested by Serbian troops. Besides him, there were six other old men who were also escorted to Jesenice to carry out their death sentences. Over the next few weeks, a series of bombs and mines were planted throughout the town. The reaper’s scythe was close to his neck. Faced with the prospect that there was no way back, Luka’s parents hastily packed their belongings, carried their young children and set out as refugees. A journey full of dangers and unknown future.

The city of Zadar became the final stop for Luka’s family. Here, they were fortunate to be able to stay at one of the city’s largest hotels, the Kolovare Hotel. Deep down in their souls, every refugee shares the same hope for a brighter future. And to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, one can give up everything except patience. Fortunately, the Modric family has never lost patience in any moment of their lives.

The Modric family continued to spend the next seven years in a room at the Kolovare hotel. But new problems arose as the war continued to escalate. Zadar’s position too close to the sea made them sandwiched between two battle lines, because everyone wanted to capture this city.

Over the next two years, Zadar was in danger of returning to the Stone Age. But even though Death was waiting at the door, Luka’s parents still did everything they could to keep their children from losing their childhood. They still encouraged him to go out when the bombs stopped, and to make friends with boys his age. Thanks to that, Luka became close with Marko Ostric, also the child of a Croatian refugee family.

Friendship blossomed very naturally, when the two boys shared the joy of playing football. Even though the “football field” is sometimes a car park filled with the smell of smoke, or a hallway with a few lights, the couple is still entwined with the ball at their feet, playing the most instinctive type of soccer. A janitor working at the hotel has faith that Luka will go far. He took the liberty of calling Josip Bajlo, President of the local club, NK Zadar.

Responding to the janitor’s enthusiasm, Josip Bajlo personally went to the hotel to discover what the 7-year-old boy could do. And he was not disappointed, Luka just threw a few moves and Bajlo was immediately impressed. Then he went to meet Luka’s parents and persuaded them to continue letting the boy learn to read and write, and to take another class at the sports academy. Both grandparents agreed. And Luka has also taken his first steps into the sacred temple of soccer. He never knew that one day, he himself would become a star in that temple.

Luka does not have outstanding strength, and his body is so fragile that many people joke that with just a strong wind, he will be hanging from the top of a tree. However, excellent ball control skills compensate for all the above disadvantages. Many experts have been amazed by the prodigy Luka who plays soccer smoothly and accurately. Among them are his first coach, Domagoj Basic, and the person in charge of youth training, Tomislav Basic. Modric often calls Tomislav “godfather”, because he always puts absolute trust in him.

At the age of 12, Luka even received an invitation to try out for the club he loved so much, Hadjuk Split. It seemed that fate would smile, but unexpectedly the club flatly refused. They said a small, slender boy like Luka would have no future. Sad and desperate, Luka even thought about giving up football. Fortunately, next to him there was Tomislav Basic. It was he who persistently rebuilt trust in his student, even spending his own money to hire experts to help him improve his strength and endurance.

When Luka entered puberty, his perseverance in training gave the first fruits. Even the biggest club in the Croatian national championship at that time, Dinamo Zagreb, wanted the young player. Then, in a youth tournament held in Italy, Modric’s talent continued to amaze even top Serie A teams such as Parma, Inter, and Juventus. But Tomislav Basic advised Luka not to rush abroad, but to spend a few years fighting at home.

Basic himself proactively approached Zagreb and the capital team became the next stop in Luka’s career. Things didn’t go smoothly for Modric after that, experiencing being away from his family for the first time in his life. Unstable mentality causes Modric’s performance to fluctuate erratically. As a result, he was loaned out season after season. But during that drifting journey, Modric still had moments of genius, signaling a special talent. Finally, Dinamo decided to draft a ten-year contract with Modric. With the check in hand, the first thing Modric did was return to Zadar and buy an apartment for his family to live together.

For the first time, the Modric family had the right to own the house key, and said goodbye to the two words “check-out” that they had been so obsessed with for many years. Now, they no longer have to live a life of refugees and wanderers. Life has given them back their worthy status. The never-ending hope of Modric’s parents finally brought them to a new destination in their lives.

No longer having to worry about his family, Modric’s mind is freed. And he began to advance rapidly. The next four years at Maksimir Stadium, Modric was the team’s boss, scoring 31 goals and making 29 assists, becoming the best playmaker in Croatia. He helped Dinamo Zagreb win three Croatian championships and three National Cups. Modric himself was once honored as the best player of the season and was called up to the national team for the first time in 2006.

Foreign clubs follow Modric closely. Arsenal has a chance sooner than everyone. In 2008, the London football team won recruitment priority. But after consideration, Arsene Wenger decided not to buy. And Modric joined Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, N’Golo Kante… to join the list of the best players to ever… almost play for Arsenal.

Bojan Krkic Sr, now a scout for Barca, also tried to persuade the Catalan club to spend money to recruit the young Croatian star. Despite highly appreciating Modric, Barca decided not to pursue this case because they have the most powerful midfield in the world. Finally, Tottenham got Modric, after spending 16.5 million pounds (nearly 20 million dollars) on Dinamo, a club record at the time.

At Tottenham, Modric was once again tested. Tottenham had the worst start in history when they failed to win a single match in the first eight rounds of the 2008-09 season. The performance of expensive rookie Modric is considered one of the reasons. Juande Ramos pushed Modric to the left wing causing him many difficulties. Ultimately Ramos was fired, and Harry Redknapp was chosen as his replacement. Redknapp was the first to pull Modric down to play right in front of the defense, a position similar to Andrea Pirlo’s role. The 4-4 draw against Arsenal in October 2008 was considered a turning point, and four years later no one could criticize the slender Croatian boy anymore.

Modric did not win any titles with Tottenham. In 160 matches played for the London team, he only scored 17 goals. But no one can deny Modric’s influence on the team’s playing style. In 2012, Real Madrid came knocking on Tottenham’s door.

Modric recalled in a recent interview for the UEFA website: “After four years at Tottenham, which saw me reach the peak of my performance, I needed a new challenge to continue to improve my performances.” up. Real was the perfect choice. When they offered, I didn’t have any thoughts other than nodding in agreement. Playing at the Bernabeu was a great experience, and I want to continue to enjoy the atmosphere that for many years to come.”

When Modric went to Real, the team’s coach was Jose Mourinho. During his final season in Madrid, Mourinho was involved in many internal struggles. He doesn’t have time to take care of a rookie like Modric. As a result, by the middle of the 2012-2013 season, Modric was voted by Marca readers as the worst rookie, slightly better than Barcelona’s Alex Song.

Mourinho’s departure at the end of that season changed Real’s destiny, and Modric’s destiny as well. Carlo Ancelotti immediately turned him into the nucleus of his playing style. Modric ended Ancelotti’s first season with an assist in the 93rd minute of the Champions League final, helping Sergio Ramos equalize a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid, sending the match into extra time. And history turned a page when Real won its 10th championship in the European arena.

After Decima, Modric’s importance increased. Ancelotti was fired, then the person who was chosen to replace Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez, also lost his job, Modric still remained firmly in the Real midfield, recognized as one of the best midfielders in the world. And Modric, along with Zinedine Zidane, made history: helping Real become the first club to successfully defend the Champions League championship.

When Modric reunited with Tottenham in the Champions League group stage today, October 17, he took a very big step forward. Having won three Champions League titles in four seasons, Modric is an irreplaceable factor in that magical journey. At a time when people can prove everything through… Youtube, it will be difficult for you to see the importance of Modric to Real just through highlight clips. With Modric out, the Real machine still hasn’t lost a single gear, but he is the lubricant that keeps the machine running smoothly.

Together with Toni Kroos, Modric creates one of the best central midfield pairs in history. Kroos is scientific and thorough. Modric is technical and spontaneous. They also come from very different backgrounds. Kroos grew up in peace, played football with the mind of an intellectual, well-educated player. And Modric grew up in the flames of war, playing football with the feet of a street boy. But as legendary rapper Rakim says: “No matter where you come from, just know where you are.” Modric is proof that geniuses sometimes come from extremely humble beginnings.

As for Madridistas, Modric is a fortune. He brings them a refreshing, gentle feeling like listening to a symphony. That music has been absent from the Bernabeu since the departure of Fernando Redondo.