Pengiktirafan besar buat Modric

MONACO – Pemain tengah Real Madrid dan Croatia, Luka Modric dinobatkan sebagai Pemain Terbaik Kesatuan Bola Sepak Eropah (UEFA) tahun ini selepas kejayaan menjuarai Liga Juara-Juara.

Modric, 32, memulakan kariernya bersama Dinamo Zagreb sebelum menyertai Tottenham Hotspur selama empat tahun seterusnya berhijrah ke Real enam tahun lalu.

Modric yang dijangka akan menjadi pilihan untuk memenangi anugerah Ballon d’Or pada tahun ini telah berjaya mengalahkan bekas rakan sepasukan, Cristiano Ronaldo dan penyerang Liverpool, Moha­med Salah untuk anugerah Pemain Terbaik UEFA.

“Ayah sentiasa memberikan sokongan padu dan saya berhutang budi kepadanya

“Ia adalah satu detik menakjubkan buat saya. Saya sangat teruja dan berbangga dengan anugerah hebat ini,” kata Modric yang telah membantu Real memena­ngi tiga kali berturut-turut trofi Eropah dan membantu Croatia layak ke pentas final Piala Dunia 2018 Rusia.

Luka Modric has been named UEFA’s Player of the Year ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. (Getty Images)

Pencapaian Real memenangi Liga Juara-Juara buat kali ketiga membuatkan Modric layak me­nerima anugerah tersebut selain dia turut memenangi anugerah bagi kategori Pemain Tengah Terbaik.

Rakan sepasukannya, Sergio Ramos dinamakan sebagai Pemain Pertahanan Terbaik manakala penjaga gawang, Keylor Navas dinobatkan sebagai Penjaga Gol terbaik.

Ronaldo yang tidak hadir untuk anugerah tersebut dipilih untuk menerima anugerah Penyerang Terbaik oleh jurulatih-jurulatih Liga Juara-Juara dan Liga Europa serta wartawan. 
– Agensi

Perancis julang Piala Dunia 2018

Skuad Les Bleus lakar sejarah dakap trofi buat kali kedua selepas bergaya tewaskan Croatia 4-2 di Stadium Luzhniki

Luka Modricwon the adidas Golden Ball Award, while @KMbappe took home the FIFA Young Player Award.

PERANCIS muncul sebagai juara Piala Dunia 2018 selepas membenam cabaran kental Croatia 4-2 dengan penuh dramatik pada aksi final di Stadium Luzhniki, Moscow lewat malam tadi.

Skuad Les Bleus kendalian Didier Deschamps mengulangi kejayaan ketika menjadi tuan rumah pada tahun 1998 apabila merangkul trofi bola sepak paling berprestij di muka bumi itu buat pertama kali.

"This is amazing, it's the pinnacle: France are on top of the world!"

Perancis turut merupakan pasukan pertama yang menjaringkan empat gol pada aksi final Piala Dunia selepas Brazil melakukannya pada tahun 1970.

Sementara itu, penyerang lincah Atletico Madrid, Antoine Griezmann muncul Pemain Terbaik Perlawanan Akhir.

Anugerah Pemain Terbaik Piala Dunia 2018 pula dimenangi perancang tengah Croatia, Luca Modric, manakala Pemain Muda Terbaik menjadi milik Kylian Mbappe (Perancis).

EURO 2016 : Modric's super strike

Croatia manager Ante Cacic hailed Luka Modric's match-winning goal as "magic" and praised the midfielder's all-round performance in the 1-0 victory against Turkey.

Modric struck a looping 25-yard shot into the bottom corner of the net late in the first half to give his team the early initiative in Group D, which also includes defending champions Spain and Czech Republic.

Croatia created opportunities throughout the game, hitting the crossbar twice in the second half, but could not find a second goal. Turkey never really looked like making them pay though and with Spain up next, could already find it tough to make the knockout stages.

Cacic told UEFA.com: "Luka [Modric] deserves to be talked about -- this was one of his best matches. He really played well, he was our leader. He scored this magic goal and it turned out to be the only one of the game.

Emre Mor became the youngest player to play for Turkey at a major tournament today (18 years, 323 days)

Turkey head coach Fatih Terim knows there is plenty of room for improvement from his team.

He said: "We played well in the first half. Croatia were better than us in the second, but we had a big chance to score the first goal. If we'd got that, it would have been different.

"In the second half, especially after 60 minutes, we dropped physically and Croatia were better than us -- they had more chances.

"It's not over till it's over. We played against a very strong side. We have two more games, against Spain and the Czech Republic, and we'll do our best. We'll keep fighting.

"I'm upset, but we'll take our lessons from this. Our big players need to deliver more. It's a team game but I have high expectations from them and, if they deliver enough, we'll get some good results."