Farewell to Real Madrid No. 10, Modric chooses No. 14 jersey in Milan to pay tribute to his mentor

With Real Madrid eliminated in the semi-finals of last week's Club World Cup, Luca Modric's thirteen-year white-clothed career officially came to an end. The Croatian midfielder announced as early as May this year that he will bid farewell to the Bernabeu as free as he finishes the game.

Now, a new chapter in his career has begun in Italy. AC Milan Club officially confirmed that Modric joined as a free agent, and the two sides signed a one-year contract, including the option to renew the contract for one year. After arriving in Milan, Modric made a brief speech to the media on Tuesday. According to GOAL, he said: "I'm so happy to be here, a great challenge awaits me and I will have time to talk about it in detail."

After Real Madrid's iconic No. 10 jersey for more than a decade, Modric chose a brand new number for his red and black career. After completing the physical examination and formal transfer, he is sure to wear AC Milan's No. 14 jersey in the 2025-26 season. The choice of this number contains special respect behind it. This move is to pay tribute to his important mentor in his career, Carlo Ancelotti. When Ancelotti played for San Siro as a player, she occasionally wore the No. 14 jersey. Modric played under the guidance of Ancelotti during his two periods of time in Real Madrid (2013-2015 and 2021-2025).

According to the plan, Modric will start training with the team at the Milanello training base on August 4. He is expected to compete in the team's pre-season friendly match to prepare for the opening game of the Serie A 2025/26 season that will begin at the end of August.

In professional football, jersey numbers are not only the identification of player identity, but also sometimes carry a tribute and inheritance to mentors, idols or club history.