‘Those Sirens, Those Bombs Dropping’- Croatian Soccer Star Luka Modric Gets Emotional As He Details How He Had To Run Away From His Home and Take Refuge in Hotels

Luka Modric is a name that is synonymous with success. The Real Madrid and Croatia star has achieved a lot in his career. He’s helped to lead Real Madrid to Champions League glory several times and Croatia to the World Cup semi-finals this year.

Regardless of his success in soccer, it’s his humble beginnings that make his story even more inspiring. In a recent video with FIFA, Luka Modric shared his childhood struggles, growing up in a war zone.

He spoke about his dark times during the war, saying “You’d hear those sirens, those bombs dropping”. These were difficult times for him and his country.

Effect of war on Luka Modric’s life

“We had to flee from our home and go take refuge in hotels,” these were the words of the Croatian captain while talking about the war that changed his life. Modric was born in Croatia, which was then a part of Yugoslavia.

When he was just six years old, the Croatian War broke out and his family had to leave their home. They spent the next four years living in hotels and shelters, as Modric and his two younger brothers were constantly on the move.

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Even in these dark times, there was one saving grace that helped Modric pull through these tough times. That grace came in the form of a ball and the beautiful sport we all call soccer.

How soccer saved Luka Modric

Despite the difficult circumstances, Modric’s love for football never wavered. He would often go to the local park and play with whoever he could find, using a make-shift goal made out of clothes. “Football was definitely a way out of everything that was going around”. It was through football that Modric found an escape from the reality of war and found his happy place.

That happy place has led Modric to some pretty big accomplishments. He signed his first professional contract with Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 16, and he has been going from strength to strength ever since. He has won numerous trophies with Real Madrid, including five Champions League titles, and he was instrumental in Croatia’s run to the 2018 World Cup final. Modric also was awarded Ballon D’Or in 2018.

Moreover, in the ongoing World Cup in Qatar, the Croatian team is again having an astonishing run, and they will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the semi-finals. The 37-year-old is dedicating his everything to the best of his teams and tasting success after success. Not bad for a kid from a war-torn country.

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