Luka Modric has agreed to a one-year contract extension at Champions League winners Real Madrid, but Marcelo has confirmed he’ll be leaving the club after 15 years.
36-year-old Modric started the Champions League final against Liverpool in Paris, which Los Blancos narrowly won 1-0 thanks to Vinicius Junior’s second half goal and some heroics from Thibaut Courtois in goal.
Victory was Real’s 14th in European Cup/Champions League competition, further extending their incredible record from years gone by, with Modric a part of five of those successes.
It was revealed in April that the Croatian was open to extending his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu for another year, and various outlets, including Marca, report that a deal has now been finalised. Fellow midfielder Toni Kroos also revealed in interview that he plans on staying at Real Madrid for the next two years.
The contract will tie Modric to the club until the summer of 2023, by which point he’ll have been a Real Madrid player for 11 years.
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One player who is leaving the club after 15 years of service is veteran full-back Marcelo.
The Brazilian’s game time has been marginalised over the last couple of years, but he was given the honour of lifting the Champions League trophy as club captain despite not starting in the final.
He subsequently confirmed after his unused substitute role that his time at Real Madrid is now over, bringing the curtain down on a glittering career in the Spanish capital.
The 34-year-old leaves after making 546 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions, 18 of which came during the 2021/22 season. He has won 25 trophies at the club, including La Liga six titles and five Champions League successes.
