Luka Modric insists Real Madrid won’t ‘crucify’ Kylian Mbappe over transfer snub

'Who knows what can happen tomorrow, let alone in three or four years in football?'

Luka Modric believes there is no need to "crucify" Kylian Mbappe over his decision to reject a move to Real Madrid in favour of remaining at Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman appeared destined to leave the Ligue 1 champions at the end of his contract and join Los Blanocs, however, he instead signed a new deal with PSG that will see him remain in Paris until 2025. While Mbappe's Madrid snub frustrated many people in Spain - including LaLiga president Javier Tebas - Croatia midfielder Modric remained diplomatic about the 23-year-old's decision. "Mbappe decided as he decided, that is his right and now he lives with that decision. It goes on," Modric told Sportske. "We all thought he would come to us, it didn't happen and - now what? Well, we're not going to crucify the man. "Mbappe is a great player, but as I always repeat, in any context, no player is more important than the club. Real is the greatest, above every player and it will always be like that. "Who knows what can happen tomorrow, let alone in three or four years in football? Only time will tell." https://twitter.com/theMadridZone/status/1543186462312644608

Modric pleased with Madrid success

Carlo Ancelotti's side enjoyed a successful campaign last season, winning the Champions League and LaLiga title. Former Tottenham Hotspur man Modric believes that the Italian's "calmness and stability" has been crucial in Los Blancos' recent triumphs. "In LaLiga, we got off to a particularly good start from the very beginning," he added. "A new old coach arrived, Carlo Ancelotti, who found a lot of players from his first era at Madrid. This made it easier to adapt to the new course, after all the great years with Zinedine Zidane. "Ancelotti brought some new calmness, stability and created an environment of mutual trust and faith in one's strengths." Modric continued: "It wasn't strange to me, because as much as some tried to belittle the strength of this group of players, I was personally convinced that we still have a top team. "Things came together for us, we made a strong run and by the end we deservedly and dominantly won the 35th title, my third." Related links:

• Spanish TV reporter in meltdown after Modric swapped shirts with Mbappe
• Luka Modric takes aim at Kylian Mbappe in contract renewal talks
• Kylian Mbappe almost quit international football after Euro 2020 penalty miss