Casemiro, the previous Actual Madrid midfielder who helped the membership safe 5 UEFA Champions League titles, not too long ago shared a memorable story about his time on the membership, notably with Luka Modric.
The 2 midfielders had been key figures in Actual Madrid’s dominance in European soccer. After their victorious UEFA Champions League closing in opposition to Atletico Madrid in Milan in 2016, Casemiro recalled an inspiring dialog that Modric had with the workforce within the dressing room.
Modric, all the time the visionary, instructed his teammates that they wanted to win two extra Champions League titles, pushing them to make historical past. Casemiro defined that their preliminary response was to remind him that that they had simply gained back-to-back titles because the triumph in Lisbon.
“I’m going to let you know one thing I by no means stated in any interview: After the UCL closing in Milan vs Atlético Madrid, we had been celebrating within the dressing room, and Luka Modric got here as much as us and stated: ‘Pals, we’ve got to win two extra UCL’s now,’ he instructed .
However Modric wasn’t glad with simply two. He believed that with the workforce that they had, they had been able to extra—particularly successful two extra Champions Leagues in a row.
“‘Come on Luka, we’ve gained two virtually in a row since Lisbon.’ He replied: ‘No, no.
“With this nice workforce we’ve got, we’ve got to take benefit and make historical past by successful at the least two extra in a row.” We then gained the twelfth in Cardiff & the thirteenth in Kyiv. In a row. Luka knew,” added Casemiro.
And as destiny would have it, Actual Madrid went on to win the twelfth and thirteenth Champions League titles, one after the opposite. It was clear that Modric’s perception within the workforce was justified.
Wanting again on the legendary workforce
Reflecting on what makes Actual Madrid so particular within the Champions League, Casemiro shared a profound perception. He stated that the core of the workforce, constructed on the values instilled by the membership, is what prepares gamers to succeed on the highest stage.
Casemiro talked about that when he arrived at Madrid, he was becoming a member of a gaggle of legendary gamers.
“The secret is that Madrid prepares the gamers. Madrid all the time has a spine of the values that they instil in you. After I arrived, Cristiano, Sergio Ramos, and Casillas… had been already there.”
Over time, gamers like Modric, Toni Kroos, and others got here in, forming a brand new spine for the workforce. Casemiro additionally highlighted the significance of the membership’s president, who performs a key position in transmitting these values to the gamers.
“Then Casemiro, Modric, Toni got here alongside. After which Vini, Fede Valverde, Rodrygo… The spine and the values of the membership are already there,” he famous.
Three UCLs in a row
When requested concerning the workforce’s success, Casemiro fondly remembered the outstanding squad he was a part of throughout their three consecutive Champions League wins.
With gamers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema—who later went on to win the Ballon d’Or—it was a workforce stuffed with skilled, revered people.
The workforce’s skill to dominate their rivals and make historical past was rooted of their collective power and unity.
“What a fantastic workforce we had. Cristiano, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Varane, Carvajal, Toni, Luka, and Karim. It was a workforce of males who commanded quite a lot of respect from their rivals. That’s why we wrote historical past,” he remembered.
