Luka Modric has arrived in Perth to begin his second season at Milan, with Ruben Amorim already spelling out the role he wants the veteran to play, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Modric renewed for another year at Amorim's urging, and the coach is now building his possession-based project around a player who turns 41 in September. That pairing, a first-year Milan boss and a midfielder deep into the closing stretch of his career, is the story of Milan's pre-season out in Australia.
Modric reached the squad's Perth hotel alongside Ardon Jashari, with Koni De Winter and Alexis Saelemaekers expected to join before tomorrow. Gazzetta reports that Modric kept training through the holidays, easing off the physical intensity without letting himself go rusty.
His arrival drew a crowd beyond the usual Rossoneri following, with a large Croatian contingent in Perth turning out for him. The commitment, per Gazzetta, is meant as a marker for the younger players in the group, given a CV that includes six Champions League titles.
Modric will close his international career on 6 October, in Croatia's Nations League tie against Spain in Split, before giving himself fully to Milan and the pursuit of what would be the 35th trophy of his career.
Amorim pushed hard for the renewal and made clear from the outset how much it mattered to the club, having spoken to Modric several times by phone before the two met in person. On landing in Perth he doubled down. "His experience will help young players develop, and it will be crucial in our development," Amorim said. "We want to base our game on possession, and if there's anyone in the world who can be truly useful in managing possession, it's Luka."
There is a sentimental footnote to the move as well. The Ballon d'Or Modric won in 2018 will stay on display in the Casa Milan museum, a temporary loan the Croatian arranged to thank the fans who made his shirt the best-selling ever in the club's stores and online.
For a coach still working out his midfield hierarchy, having a six-time European champion to set the standard in training is the kind of head start most first-year managers never get.