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This summer, Luka Modric could’ve hung up his boots and it seemed he would. However, he opted to stay with AC Milan for another year. Before (and during) the World Cup, it seemed almost guaranteed that Modric wouldn’t return to Milan. The club had failed to qualify for the Champions League and an overhaul of the management and head coach meant a new project would have to be sold to him. Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial! A return to Madrid was suggested, with hanging up his boots looking possible, if not probable. Yet he opted to give the Rossoneri another season, saying the club deserves to be in a better position. In other words, he couldn’t leave it where he found it; out of the Champions League. Modric’s latest interview Speaking to Madrid-based outlet Marca, Modric explained his decision to return to the Rossoneri, eventually returning home and his motivations for this season, as MilanNews relays. Luka, you can’t imagine how much he’s missed in Madrid… “Thank you for coming. It’s always nice to hear these things, to know that you miss me. I miss Madrid too – the city, the club, and everything else. But I can say that I’m happy and comfortable here in Milan. “They welcomed me with open arms from day one, and I’m very happy. The fact that I’ve stayed here for the second year in a row is proof of that. So, even though I miss Madrid a lot, I’m in Milan now, and I’m happy here too.” What was more difficult: saying goodbye to Real Madrid or getting used to no longer being a Real Madrid player? “In my experience, I think it was harder to say goodbye than to get used to it, because then you have to accept that one day all of this will end. Football and certain things… You detach yourself from experiences you’ve lived to the fullest. “For me, it was harder to say goodbye than to arrive here and, little by little, get used to a new daily routine, a new reality, and a new club. It wasn’t easy to say goodbye, but, as I said, it’s part of life. When you know you’ve given everything, that you’ve done everything you could for that club, you leave with your head held high. “I left with my head held high.” That’s also why he chose Milan, because it’s a very demanding club and has won seven European Cups. I’m not saying it’s the same, but the expectations are very high here too… “Yes, yes. The expectations are very high here too. Milan is one of the best clubs in the world, a historic club that perhaps in recent years hasn’t achieved the results everyone was used to, but that doesn’t change the fact that it continues to be a great club and one of the most beloved in the world. “When you arrive here, you feel it. You breathe the history of Milan. “Even here, at the training center, you feel it. So many legends and so many great players have played here… It was definitely one of the reasons I chose Milan. When I was a child and watched Italian football, Milan was my favorite team. “So several things came together that made the decision easier after Real Madrid, because I’ve always had great affection and respect for Milan. When this opportunity arose after Madrid, I didn’t have many doubts.” What is Luka Modric’s goal for this season with AC Milan? “To do better than last year. We did very well for a long time; we were fighting for the Scudetto until March, but then in the last few games we almost threw everything away and failed to qualify for the Champions League. “It was a tough blow for AC Milan, because AC Milan, due to its history, must play at least in the Champions League every year. They are the club with the second most titles after Real Madrid. The goals are to do well, to help the team in every aspect, on and off the pitch. There is great enthusiasm. “This year there have been many changes in the team, a new coach, several new players, and the club considered me an important part of the project. They wanted me here, and that’s why I stayed. “I want to compete, give everything, and try to help AC Milan win again. All together. One player alone can’t do it, but we must all work together to gradually bring AC Milan back to where it deserves to be.” How does Luka Modric stay motivated season after season? “It’s not difficult. I do what I love. Football is my life. I started training at six years old, and football is truly my life. I still have fun, I still have the same ambition, motivation, and passion. When you feel these feelings, it’s easier to keep going. “Thank God, I feel good physically and mentally, which is very important, and I think these are the main reasons. Above all, the love I have for this sport. Because if your body doesn’t support you, it becomes difficult. But I don’t consider all this work. “For me, it’s something I have fun with. I continue to have fun and enjoy it. I don’t have days when I think: ‘I don’t feel like it anymore, I don’t want to train or get up.’ That’s never happened to me. As long as I feel this way, I see no reason to stop. “I know a lot of people talk about my age, and it’s even become a bit boring. I think it’s part of this narrative, as they say, but it doesn’t affect me. I’m taking it day by day and enjoying it. I think my body will tell me when the time has come. “I’ve always been realistic and honest with myself, and I think that, even though that moment will certainly be difficult, it will come. It’s close, certainly closer than before. But we’ll see how long I can stay and keep playing.” What’s Luka Modric like when he leaves Milanello, just like when he left Valdebebas? “A normal person. A family man. I try to spend time with my family, with my children, doing normal things, nothing extraordinary. I spend time with my friends. I like playing padel, tennis, and basketball. I do it whenever I can. I just try to do normal things, nothing special or out of the ordinary.” You said Madrid is your home. When you stop playing, would you like to return? “Maybe. I’d like to. To be honest, I don’t need to hide it. Madrid is my home, and of course I’d like to return one day. But we’ll see how and in what role, if that happens. I don’t want to return just to return and stay there without a purpose. I’m not made that way. “I want to be useful, I want to help Real Madrid. I don’t want to be there without knowing why. That’s my mentality, and that’s my thought. Madrid has given me everything; it’s given me so much, and I think I’d only return to do something useful, do things well, and work not “in Real Madrid,” but “for Real Madrid.” “As Mourinho said recently, we have to work for Real Madrid, help them in any way we can, and make them ever greater. That’s the only way I’d like to return. But we’ll see. It’s my home, I’m a Madridista and always will be. “To be honest, of course I’d like to. But we’ll see what life brings; you never know. My intention is to return to Madrid and live there, but we know how things go. You can never say anything for sure. But I really hope it happens.”