Modric motivated for World Cup semi replay

“Welcome to the press conference of the Croatia national team with Luka Modric, the world’s best player,” the compere says.

Themidfielderdoesn’tflinch. He stares straight ahead. His mid-length parted mousey hair does not ruffle. He maintains that same serene expression which seems to cling to his face permanently, wearing the mask throughout the short press conference in which he fields questions from what it will be like to play in an empty stadium, to if he believes England have an attitude problem in underestimating opponents (a fallout from the World Cup) and if Harry Kane can reach the level of players such as himself, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Perhaps it is that expression which makes Modric, winner of the recent Fifa Player of the Year award, one of the game’s great understated players. England supporters will be denied the chance to watch the 33-year-old’s mastery of midfield live tonight when the two sides meet in the Uefa Nations League, three months after Croatia knocked England out of the World Cup in the semifinal.

It will be only the fourth time an English side have ever played behind closed doors, after matches involving West Ham and Aston Villa in the ’80s and Manchester City in 2014, and the first time the national team have experienced it.

Already yesterday, a small group of supporters – presumably English – were scouting

0 Luka Modric shares his thoughts with Croatia team-mate Ivan Rakitic at training ahead of tonight’s Nations League game in Rijeka. out the view from the treelined cliff overlooking one side of the Stadion HNK Rijeka, while some security officials in bright orange strolled over and had words. They’ll have no luck on the other side, which has a view out over the Adriatic Sea. They were gone by the time Modric had finished, but plenty of England fans are expected to make the trip to Croatia’s third city so they are likely to be back this evening with many more.

“It’s a strange environment for both teams, playing in front of an empty stadium, but it’s important for us to achieve a good result,” Modric said. “It’s hard to play without fans, but we have to adapt to that.”

You get the impression that Modric would not care if he was playing in a coliseum in front of 100,000 people or in a muddy field with one man and his dog watching on. “I don’t think anyone has the advantage in this kind of game,” he

LUKA MODRIC added. “Nobody is accustomed to play in front of an empty stadium. Maybe we’ve had some experience of it with the two games already, but it is what it is. We have to adapt as quickly as possible.”

Modric’s perpetually mundane expression somewhat took the sting out of what, during the World Cup, became an unexpectedly heated buildup to the semi-final, when the Croatian players accused English pundits and media of lacking respect and underestimating them. The resentment clearly ran deep, and after Croatia the match defender Sime Vrsaljko insisted that England had been made out to be this new-look side who play great football but when they were put under pressure they still reverted to “punting long balls upfield”.

Modric had his say, too, but said yesterday: “When I said that after the game, it wasn’t meant to be the players or the head coach, but more in regards to the media and some commentary we could read or watch. We felt a bit disrespected, not appreciated as much as we deserve. It was extra motivation for our team, even in a World Cup semi-final when you don’t need extra motivation. That’s how we felt. That’s how I felt. Is that a problem for England? That’s something you have to answer yourself and analyse.” Which is basically a polite way of saying: what do you think?

One area the English media tend not to underestimate – if anything they overestimate – is the national team and the debate around how great World Cup Golden Boot winner Kane, 25, can become remains on-going. So the world’s best player was asked his opinion on the matter.

“If you look at the number of goals he is scoring for Tottenham Hotspur, taking them into the Premier League title race which isn’t easy because other clubs are investing more money, then he’s proved himself one of the world’s best forwards already,” Modric said. “If he continues to develop, he can achieve even more, but he’s already one of the best in the world.”

And with that Modric had had his say and the world’s best player stood up, turned and walked out of the room.

“It’s strange for both teams, playing in front of an empty stadium, but it’s important for us to achieve a good result”