Luka Modric is leaving Real Madrid. It seems like a joke, but then you see the pictures from the farewell on Saturday, and realise that it is not one. He really is leaving.
I do not think I have actually come to terms with it yet, even 24 hours after it, but hey, there is a lot of time for that to happen.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. Modric is going, but Real Madrid have an in-house replacement ready to take over.
This could be a huge opportunity for Arda Guler at Real Madrid
Despite not playing much for a year and a half, Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler stayed at the club hoping for a chance, and that is what he got.
Things changed for Guler after his brilliant performance in the Copa Del Rey final, and it is absolutely clear that Real Madrid believe in him for the future.
And I guess it is a bittersweet moment for Guler to see Modric leave. One thing is that he would obviously want to learn more from the Croatian. Another is that he would get more game time.
Guler is brilliant, and although he has a few things to improve on, he could easily become the in-house Modric replacement. He was also one of the biggest reasons why Real Madrid let Modric go, and now it is his time to show his importance.
It would be foolish to expect Guler to play like Modric - he can replace some of the Croatian's abilities, but it is impossible to replace everything he did for the team. It will be a good few years in the future, though, as Guler slowly but surely develops into the player we all know he can be.
Modric guiding him through it would have been great, but I guess that is too much to ask for.