AC Milan: Luka Modric’s 'Age 30' Era

Luka Modric turned 40 on September 9th, yet on the pitch, he continues to perform as if he were just entering his thirties.

"The eternal footballer" recently scored the sole goal that led AC Milan to a 1-0 win against the tough opponent Bologna in Serie A’s third round, once again proving that age is truly just a number for him. With a low strike from the 16.5-meter line assisted by Saelemaekers, Modric not only scored his first goal for Milan but also instantly broke the record for the oldest midfielder to score in Serie A at 40 years and 5 days old, surpassing Nils Liedholm’s previous record (38 years, 169 days), who scored for Milan against Inter in 1961.

At a simple birthday party held at the Milanello training camp, Modric pointed at the number 4 on the cake and laughed, saying it was incorrect and should be a 3. That was indeed true. Despite being 40 and showing signs of aging on his face, he still exhibits energy as abundant as any teammate, while delivering an exceptionally high quality of play. He has played two-thirds of Milan’s opening matches this season, totaling 254 minutes (excluding stoppage time), ranking among the most played in the team.

The victory over Bologna was a masterful performance by "Saint Lukita." He not only scored the decisive goal but was also the soul of every Milan attacking move. He had the most touches (66), completed 37 passes successfully (85% accuracy), and won 6 out of 7 duels. Even more astonishing, he led in successful tackles (4 times, 100% success rate) and ball recoveries (9 times). This is the silent work of a true leader, who sets an example to pull the entire team forward.

After undergoing a massive personnel overhaul (15 of last season’s 26 first-team players have left), the fresh Milan under new coach Max Allegri clearly depends heavily on the newly arrived players. However, so far, after one month of play, only Modric has left a significant mark. This demonstrates his superior class and irreplaceable leadership role, confirming that Allegri’s decision to trust him as the team’s brain is absolutely correct. Nevertheless, other newcomers are also showing positive signs. Adrien Rabiot had a good debut despite joining Milan only three days ago, young center-back Koni De Winter has been tested, and forward Christopher Nkunku looks promising with limited playing time.

The 1-0 win against Bologna was a type of match that strongly reflected Allegri’s style. Milan played pragmatic football, holding the ball very little (only 37% compared to the opponent’s 63%) but was much more effective, creating numerous dangerous chances. If not for the woodwork denying them four times, the score would certainly not have stopped at 1-0. At the same time, the defense appeared solid, despite major disruptions caused by injuries to center-back Strahinja Pavlovic and goalkeeper Mike Maignan. In the second half, Milan almost gave Bologna no chance to score.

There are still some concerns, such as the worrying form and mentality of key striker Santiago Gimenez and the serious calf injury to goalkeeper Mike Maignan. But overall, Milan is showing very good signs, especially when they have a Modric playing with the agility, endurance, and class as if he were still in his thirties.

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