Real Madrid have officially announced captain and legend Luka Modric's exit. It comes as a shock to the system for me, as a fan, but it has happened.
There are so many thoughts, but the honest truth is that Real Madrid's entire fanbase will be split in half because of this announcement. Some fans will be sad about his departure, but happy about the timing of it. Others will be sad about both.
The author belongs on the latter side of the divide. Real Madrid could still use a player like Modric, even at this age, in so many big games. He has seen a slow decline, that much is obvious. No one is denying that Modric is not the player he once was.
Modric still had much more to give to Real Madrid, and he clearly wanted to stay
However, Real Madrid will still miss him. There are not many players in the whole squad that provide what he will provide. Real Madrid have been trying to replace Toni Kroos ever since he left, and sometimes, in some games, Modric has acted as the Kroos replacement.
There is still no one in the team that provides as much control and press resistance as Modric does. He is still technically gifted and provides a lot of brilliance on the pitch, even on bad days.
We cannot forget his last performance. Modric was easily one of Real Madrid's best players against Sevilla, and he bossed the entire midfield around by himself. That shows how good he still can be.
Modric is not a starter, but he still provides a lot off the bench.
However, one could also argue that some Real Madrid fans have seen this coming. There have also been some bad performances from Modric this season, and some could argue that he may take minutes away from many young players.
It still does not make complete sense to me - and I don't think it ever will - but to the other half, it might be a perfect goodbye.
Two things can be right, and in this case, they might be. Luka Modric will be missed, for one reason or the other, and will go down as the greatest midfielder in Real Madrid's long, storied history.