@FootynewsThe national team coach warned Luka Modrić that facing Argentina would be difficult, a warning that got laughed off. Modrić responded by acknowledging Argentina as a great team while noting his squad was used to challenging matches and there was no need to worry. The coach appeared confused by this reaction at the time because the reason for the fear wasn't clear yet. It took seeing Juan Román Riquelme during the match against Argentina for Modrić to finally understand the source of the concern. He realized Riquelme was the specific reason behind the coach's apprehension. What Modrić admired most about Riquelme was how he constantly scanned the field from near to far spaces whenever he had possession of the ball. Riquelme consistently sought passing options to either create goals or evade defensive pressure. There was also the way he dribbled the ball in an unusual manner that frequently caused opponents to fall. Modrić recalled that Riquelme could make him fall down in front of him every time he was near, watching him pass by easily. Ultimately, Modrić described Riquelme as a great player.

@FootynewsThe national team coach warned Luka Modrić that facing Argentina would be difficult, a warning that got laughed off. Modrić responded by acknowledging Argentina as a great team while noting his squad was used to challenging matches and there was no need to worry. The coach appeared confused by this reaction at the time because the reason for the fear wasn't clear yet. It took seeing Juan Román Riquelme during the match against Argentina for Modrić to finally understand the source of the concern. He realized Riquelme was the specific reason behind the coach's apprehension. What Modrić admired most about Riquelme was how he constantly scanned the field from near to far spaces whenever he had possession of the ball. Riquelme consistently sought passing options to either create goals or evade defensive pressure. There was also the way he dribbled the ball in an unusual manner that frequently caused opponents to fall. Modrić recalled that Riquelme could make him fall down in front of him every time he was near, watching him pass by easily. Ultimately, Modrić described Riquelme as a great player.