Milan's coach highlights Modric's unique qualities, teammates amazed by the 40-year-old star's endurance

29/09/2025 10:46:00 pandatv

Adrien Rabiot admitted he was genuinely surprised by teammate Luka Modric's performance for Milan after their victory over Napoli, while coach Max Allegri did not forget to highlight the important role of the veteran Croatian star.

Rabiot and coach Max Allegri praise Luka Modric

"I don’t understand how he manages to run for the entire 90 minutes at 40 years old," the French midfielder shared.

Milan started perfectly when, just three minutes after kickoff, Christian Pulisic sprinted from his own half before assisting Alexis Saelemaekers to open the scoring. The American star then continued by scoring the second goal to make it 2-0.

The match turned when Pervis Estupiñán received a red card for pulling down Giovanni Di Lorenzo, allowing Kevin De Bruyne to successfully convert a penalty and reduce the gap. Napoli nearly equalized when David Neres’ shot in stoppage time hit the post.

It’s no coincidence Milan returned to winning form since Rabiot joined from Olympique Marseille on the last day of the transfer window. "I was already familiar with the coach and staff, understood their working methods, so integrating was easier," Rabiot told DAZN Italy.

Luka Modric stood out, helping AC Milan beat Napoli 2-1 in Serie A round 5

"I also knew quite a few teammates beforehand. I came here with humility, working hard every day to set an example and inspire the team. They’ve supported me. Since I arrived, we’ve won four games, conceding only one goal. The team spirit is very strong, and everyone plays with a positive attitude. Today was really tough, but thanks to spirit and determination, we secured the win. I’m happy about that."

Rabiot is currently working extremely well with Modric – who, despite being 40, still exerts a big influence in his first Serie A season. "Playing alongside Luka is easy because he knows how to control the pace. Honestly, I don’t know how he can run so persistently for 90 minutes at 40," Rabiot said.

"He loves football and enjoys every second on the pitch. Luka likes defending, attacking, he enjoys everything. This squad is high quality and everyone is ready to help defend. The match was not easy with us down a man, but the whole team showed their ability."

Next weekend, Rabiot will return to Allianz Stadium to face his former club Juventus – where he spent five years. "I’m really happy to be back on the pitch, especially with Milan leading the table. Of course, I want to win, but above all, I’m glad to be playing in Serie A again. It will be an emotional experience, but now I belong to Milan and hope Milan will win."

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