Fans sang for the striker to ‘take us to Europe’ as he arrived in Italy to join an unfancied team brimming with positivity Jamie Vardy had not reached his destination, but already he was getting a taste of what may await him, a crowd of Cremonese supporters greeting him at the exit of Milan’s Linate airport – 50 miles away from their team’s home town. Never mind the fact it was almost midnight on a Sunday. He hopped out of his car to sign autographs – one over a tattoo of his own face. They sang for him to “take us to Europe”. Even in a summer of famous names making unexpected late-career moves to Italy – from Kevin De Bruyne and Napoli to Luka Modric at Milan – Vardy joining Cremonese feels most improbable of all. A player who once finished eighth in the Ballon d’Or vote, signing for a club with a 16,000-seater stadium who have made only fleeting appearances in the top flight since they were founded in 1903. Continue reading...

Chief executive Tom Gorringe says Swansea City are anticipating bigger sponsorship deals thanks to the involvement of Luka Modric and Snoop Dogg.

Swansea City's chief executive officer Tom Gorringe discusses the roles of high-profile investors Snoop Dogg and Luka Modric and his side's hopes for the remainder of the transfer window.

Championship club under majority American ownership Luka Modric joined as investor and co-owner in April The American rapper Snoop Dogg has bought a minority stake in the Championship club Swansea. The deal was announced three months after the Croatia international Luka Modric joined as an investor and co-owner. Snoop Dogg helped to launch Swansea’s new home shirt on Monday. The 53-year-old is a keen sports fan and has described Celtic as his favourite football club in Scotland. He said last month he would love to open a burger van at Celtic Park. Continue reading...

Luka Modric completes a move to AC Milan on a free transfer until June 2026 after 13 successful years at Real Madrid.

Ballon d’Or winner becomes the latest veteran, after Kevin De Bruyne, to be pulled in by Italian game’s leisurely pace of life Luka Modric will turn 40 in September. He has played 930 games over the course of a career and has won seven league titles and six Champions Leagues. He even broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly to claim the Ballon d’Or after inspiring Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018. He rarely lasts a full 90 minutes these days, didn’t start a game during the Club World Cup and was spared the indignity of coming on for his Madrid farewell with the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain long since lost. He could have retired five years ago and still been one of the most respected players in the history of the game but, his eyes on next summer’s World Cup, when his contract at Real Madrid expired Modric chose to join Milan. Continue reading...

Manager describes 39-year-old as ‘extraordinary player’ Allegri says Maignan and Leão seem willing to stay Real Madrid’s captain Luka Modric will join Milan after the Club World Cup, the Serie A club’s manager, Massimiliano Allegri, confirmed on Monday. The 39-year-old midfielder announced in May that he would be leaving Madrid after the tournament. Madrid face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals on Wednesday, with the final scheduled for Sunday. Continue reading...

Mbappé scores twice in 2-0 win against Real Socidead Ancelotti’s final match as manager, Modric’s last home game Real Madrid gave Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric a victory in their final game at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad to end their La Liga season. Ancelotti will become Brazil coach after leaving Real, while Modric is set to leave the club after next month’s Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States. This story will be updated Continue reading...

Following Luka Modric's investment in Swansea City, the BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team looks into why more and more footballers are snubbing management.

With Luka Modric investing in Swansea City, BBC Sport asks why? How did it happen? What will his role be? And what does it mean for the Welsh club?

Midfielder’s contract with Real ends in the summerMajor changes behind scenes at Championship club The Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is poised to acquire a minority stake in Swansea. The 39-year-old Croatia captain, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is close to making his first foray into football ownership. His motivations for joining the Swansea structure are unclear. Swansea are fronted by the American owners Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen. Swansea are 12th in the Championship after a renaissance under their caretaker head coach, Alan Sheehan, who succeeded Luke Williams in February. Swansea host Hull on Friday and have taken 17 points from nine matches under Sheehan. He is expected to be a leading candidate to take the job on a permanent basis. Continue reading...

Real Madrid and Croatia legend Luka Modric is set to take a minority ownership stake in Swansea City.

Jude Bellingham was not shocked by Madrid’s display after a campaign littered with defeats and tactical muddle On the way out of the Emirates, someone asked Kylian Mbappé whether Real Madrid could still do this. “Course we can,” he replied, three words and then he was gone. In front of him, Vinícius Júnior left in silence. Rodrygo passed by unnoticed again. Luka Modric didn’t talk, nor did Fede Valverde. Lucas Vázquez and Raúl Asencio did, then Thibaut Courtois and Jude Bellingham. “We weren’t good,” Vázquez admitted. “We forgot to play well,” Courtois said. “It’s not what what we expected,” Asencio said, but it wasn’t unexpected either, which is why it was the description Bellingham didn’t use which said it best. Asked whether he was shocked, Bellingham said: “I don’t know if ‘shocked’ is the right word.” No one who has watched them all year could have truly been shocked by this, except that they’re Real Madrid, stupid, and somehow Real Madrid always seem to find a way. “There is nothing we can draw from external excuses or anything like that; we have to look at ourselves,” Bellingham said. “These are similar sets of themes to when we have dropped points all season. It’s happened again tonight on a larger scale.” Continue reading...

El clásico kicks off at 8pm (BST) at the Santiago BernabéuReal Madrid and Barça meet in clásico like those of oldShare your thoughts with Scott via email “These two might, just might, actually be the best teams in Europe again; this could be a battle the way it used to be, closer and more competitive than anyone anticipated … a clash of styles and identities … a clash of titans.” Allow the good doctor to set the scene. The reigning champions Real Madrid are without Rodrygo and Thibaut Courtois, both of whom are injured. They’re two of three changes to their starting XI after the 5-2 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund, with club captain Luka Modrić dropping to the bench; Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga step into the midfield, while Andriy Lunin is in goal. Continue reading...