Mamelodi Sundowns legend Teko Modise offered us his expert opinion on Spanish football amid another thrilling LALIGA campaign, with some great insights on Spain’s top flight, Real Madrid stars Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham, and FC Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez.
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Real stretched their lead at the top of the LALIGA standing to an almost unassailable 11 points after emerging victorious in the ElClasico over arch-rivals FC Barcelona on 21 April. Among those who watched the match at a Cape Town bar where allegiances are fiercely split was Modise. The retired playmaker composed himself during a roaring atmosphere to explain the remarkable allure LALIGA has despite now being in the post-Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era. The 41-year-old described the Spanish top-flight as the home of “pure football”, while explaining why the division is the Holy Grail for the best footballers on the planet.
Lukhanyo Mtuta: What is it about LALIGA that seems to attract the best players in the world?
Teko Modise: LALIGA is the definition of pure football, in such a sense that we used to call it perfect football. We used to believe that if you could succeed in LALIGA, you were regarded as one of the best players in the whole world because that was the league that defined how football should be played. That’s why when we speak of the greatest footballers in the world, they have all played there. You have Diego Maradona that played there, Xavi [Hernandez], [Andres] Iniesta, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who became a beast when he played there as well. Of course, Lionel Messi, he played in LALIGA almost his entire life, plus you have beasts like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who were always bubbling under but when they came to LALIGA, they became something else. So LALIGA actually gives quality players an opportunity to get to a different level and I think it has always been that way. That’s why you also see Jude Bellingham… he’s a totally different player than he was last season when he played for Borussia Dortmund. There’s something that LALIGA does to footballers’ minds that actually makes them believe that they are the best, and as a footballer, you want to be among the best of the best. That propels you to actually play that way.
LM: Speaking of Bellingham, what an incredible season he is having at the Santiago Bernabeu. Are you surprised?
TM: For him to get so many goals, I am not surprised. He has been given a different role and he accepted it, and he took it. That’s the first thing. If you accept and take it, you start learning.
LM: But for a midfielder to score so many goals… From a technical perspective, how does that work?
TM: As an attacking midfielder, as an 8 and a 10, you find positions in the box a little bit earlier. We know Madrid doesn’t play with an out-and-out striker, so that gives him the license to get inside the box very quickly and to up his numbers. Also, it gives him more opportunities to play. Remember, there was Steven Gerrard, those guys also did these things, putting up numbers. So, I think he watched those players while growing up and he understands that importance of it. Bellingham plays in a team that understands his strengths and to see him do these things, I am actually not surprised because he is such a quality player. I just hope that if there’s actually another English player to win the Ballon d’Or in the future, it could be him. The English youngster has veterans like Kroos and Modric playing behind him; however, reports suggest that the Croatian midfielder is set to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, although transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has indicated that the German will be given a one-year extension.
LM: In your career, you also had to leave a club you could call ‘the love of your life’, Sundowns. You did so in the twilight of your career too. What do you think is going through Modric’s mind, and does parting ways with the club you love most change you?
TM: It certainly does change you, but there’s also a little bit of fulfilment when you leave a team that you were so successful with, and within that success, you know that you have contributed immensely to it. When you move away, you understand that you can’t give the best that you can and because you are so in love with football at that age, you know you can’t always be at your best. So, you would rather move elsewhere and also open space for others. At that time, you feel fulfilled with what you have done for the game. I think for Modric, he has done it all, what is it that he hasn’t done? The fact that he is so successful, he still plays at the highest level, I am sure he is fulfilled. Even if he moves elsewhere, he will still be remembered as a Real Madrid legend and especially for the type of football he plays. He is so calm, he never changes, he is so matured, and in big games you want to see him because you know the calmness he brings. It’s the same with Kroos.
LM: Do midfielders like them get the credit they deserve?
TM: These are the type of players we never really praise, and we never actually gave them their flowers. We are only going to miss them when they are no longer around because, normally, we praise people that dribble past four or five players, but we don’t acknowledge the guys who control the tempo of the game, the ones playing the piano in the background. We are always looking for the lead singer in the group. So, your Modric, Kroos, and Rodri at Manchester City… those are the players who play the piano and, without them, you realise their absence. Modric has contributed so much to Real Madrid, even though I don’t support the club, but I enjoy the things he does and sees. I know that most midfielders would never see certain things and you need to be at a certain level to see that.
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LM: Enough about Madrid… Barca boss Xavi announced earlier this season he will be leaving the Catalan giants at the end of the season after the club weren’t through a poor patch of form and consequentially lost ground on the LALIGA title race. Xavi has since rescinded that decision this week and it was confirmed that he will stay and see out the remainder of his contract, which expires in next season. What did you make of Xavi’s initial decision to call it quits in January, a move that surprised everyone?
TM: Look… there’s one thing we need to be aware of. When you are a coach, you are also a human being, you have emotions and feelings. I think the decision was based on emotions and frustration that he wasn’t getting things right. It happens in football. You also need to understand that he is fairly new to top-level football in terms of coaching. Also, you need to be able to be a good manager to control the egos and all these big names in the dressing room. He is still learning, but I am sure that, at some point, he lost the dressing room and that’s what may have propelled him to make that decision and try to move away from that. Maybe he felt he needed a breather, a different perspective to know what the game is all about. The reason you have great coaches like Pep [Guardiola], [Jurgen] Klopp is because they are able to manage and that’s not necessarily about tactics. You need to manage the dressing room because sometimes that’s how you win and lose games. I really look forward to seeing Xavi’s transition to becoming a better coach. I am sure he will reflect on the lessons of the past few months and that will help him in the future.
