On the eve of Juventus’s Club World Cup showdown against Real Madrid, head coach Igor Tudor took time in his pre-match press conference to express deep admiration for both the challenge ahead and Croatia’s greatest-ever player, Luka Modrić.
With the veteran midfielder playing one of his final matches in the white of Madrid, Tudor didn’t hold back in celebrating his compatriot’s enduring brilliance.
“In a country like ours, with fewer than 4 million people, someone like him is born every 300 years in Croatia,” Tudor said. “He’s a source of pride for the entire country because he’s a great player, but as a person, he’s the same—maybe people don’t know that.”
Tudor, himself a former Croatian international, emphasized the personal connection and respect he has for Modrić.
“I love him very much. I hope he continues to have fun, because he’s only 40,” he joked.
“Everyone Wants to Beat Madrid”
While much of the attention centered on Modrić, Tudor quickly turned focus toward the challenge his Juventus side faces in what promises to be one of the biggest matches of the tournament.
“I’ve seen teamwork, effort, a Real Madrid team,” Tudor said. “Tomorrow we have a difficult match—we’ll analyze it carefully. We shouldn’t talk about the players. I have a lot of respect, but I tell my players that in the end, these are the best matches. Everyone wants to beat Madrid. You have to treat it like that—as an opportunity, with focus but also courage.”
“We have a lot of respect for this team, a team that has always been good in these tournaments over the last 10 years, in all competitions. We want to advance, we want to play our cards right. We’re preparing as best we can, and then we’ll see what happens.”
“We Have to Believe”
Real Madrid enters the match as favorites, but Tudor refused to approach the game with anything less than total belief and commitment.
“Tomorrow is a new game,” he said. “We’re up against a top-level opponent, and it’s not the best we could have been dealt. We have to believe, try our best to advance to the next round. We have to have a lot of faith, we have to run hard, make sacrifices, concede little, and have a little luck. I have faith, and then we’ll see what happens.”
