Luka Modric has been named the most decisive signing of Jose Mourinho’s long coaching career by the Special One’s assistant at Real Madrid.
Rui Faria spent 17 years as Mourinho’s assistant, spanning spells at Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Madrid and Manchester United, winning two Champions Leagues, eight league titles and a slew of other honours.
Mourinho’s Madrid set the record for most wins and most points in Spanish top flight history in the title-winning 2011-12 season and reached the Champions League semi-finals, where they were lost on penalties to Bayern Munich.
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That side, however, formed the bedrock of future Champions League successes, with players like Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo and more going on to multiple European triumphs.
The cherry on top was Luka Modric, signed by Mourinho from Tottenham in the summer of 2012.
The Croatia international has won SIX Champions League titles in the white of Real Madrid and earned the Ballon d’Or in 2018.
He is among the greatest signings in the club history and is still going strong at 38, with the possibility of a contract extension to come.
Not many outsiders were predicting that after Modric’s first season with the club, with the Croat being written off as a failure. However, the playmaker then delivered more than a decade of success to the Bernabeu.
Faria opens up over ‘beautiful Modric story’ at Real Madrid
“There is one story that I always like to repeat,” Faria told Duncan Castles in an exclusive interview on The Transfers Podcast.
“When we signed Modric to Real Madrid, we really didn’t stay long. But I remember that he was considered the flop of the season when we signed him.
“And everyone knows the influence he had on Real Madrid all these years, winning the Champions League and so on. How important he was for that team.
“So if we can say a player that had a really big impact, even after we left a squad, maybe Modric is one of them, but I’m sorry if I forget others.
“And we had so many that they came into the team and they really did well, signing [Didier] Drogba for Chelsea or even signing [Wesley] Sneijder for Inter, or [Samuel] Eto’o.
“Many players did so well for us when we signed them.
“Modric’s story is one of the beautiful ones because he was considered the flop of the season and he became what he became, the importance he had on the last 10 years in Real Madrid.”
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