Sports
TRANSFER! Modric’s fate at Real Madrid rests on his hands-Ancelloti
Real Madrid head coach, Carlo Ancelotti has stated that the decision to continue at Real Madrid beyond this season rests with Luka Modric.
Carlo Ancelotti declined to comment on Luka Modric’s contract extension at Real Madrid, stating that the decision lies with the player. Modric, a veteran midfielder who has been with Los Blancos for the past 12 years, has less than six months remaining on his current deal.
Speaking to reporters, the Italian manager said, “We celebrated Luka because he deserved it, he scored a great goal that gave us three points, and he brought a lot more. He had freshness. He shows that it is very difficult to leave him on the bench. Not just because of the goal, but because of how he trains every day.
“It’s in Luka’s hands what he wants to do. We have to wait for his decision. Out of respect for him, I can’t give him advice. He knows perfectly well what he has to do. The quality of the minutes is more important than the quantity.”
Luka Modric, the Croatia international, scored the sole goal for Real Madrid in their 1-0 victory over Sevilla in a pivotal La Liga match on Sunday, allowing them to maintain their eight-point lead at the top of the table.
Modric has featured in 21 league games this season, starting in 11 of them. Real Madrid’s next match is against Valencia in a league fixture on Saturday, followed by a Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on March 6.
Arsenal qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League, despite playing a goalless draw with Sporting on Wednesday night.
The Gunners had won the first leg 1-0 in Portugal thanks to Kai Havertz’s late winner.
At the Emirates, the chances were far and few as both teams hit the woodwork but failed to score.
Arsenal will now play Atletico Madrid, who eliminated Barcelona.
In the other quarter-final, Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid 4-3 at the Allianz Arena.
The Bundesliga champions had won the first leg 1-0 at the Bernabeu.
Bayern Munich will play Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final.
Football superstar Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association are facing a lawsuit in the United States over allegations of fraud and breach of contract linked to two Argentina exhibition matches held in October.
A Miami-based sports and entertainment company, VID, filed the suit in Florida, claiming it paid about $7 million for exclusive rights to stage Argentina friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, with the expectation that Messi would feature in both games.
According to the filing, Messi was contractually required to play at least 30 minutes in each match unless he was injured. However, the company alleges he did not take part in either game, instead watching from the stands during at least one of the fixtures.
Reports say Messi attended the match in Miami but did not play, choosing to remain available for his club commitments with Inter Miami the following day. The second fixture against Puerto Rico was also moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, a change the promoters say led to significant financial losses, reportedly over $1 million.
VID further claims the AFA had promised compensation through a future friendly match in China in 2026, which never materialised.
The company is now seeking damages, alleging it suffered heavy financial losses due to unmet contractual expectations.
This is not the first time Messi’s absence from promotional matches has triggered legal action, as similar disputes have previously emerged involving ticketing and advertising expectations around his participation.
Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League.
This follows the completion of the quarter-final second legs on Tuesday.
In the first game, PSG travelled to Liverpool with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
Although there were no goals in the first half, Ousmane Dembele netted twice after the break as the holders progressed into the final four.
At the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico qualified for the semi-final despite losing 2-1.
Diego Simeone’s men had won 2-0 at the Nou Camp and at home, Ademola Lookman’s goal proved crucial after Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres levelled the tie on aggregate/
PSG will face the winner of Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid await the winner of Arsenal vs Sporting.
UCL: Real Madrid, Sporting out as Bayern Munich, Arsenal reach semi-finals
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