Exactly 11 years after Real Madrid lifted La Décima, Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modrić are saying goodbye to the Santiago Bernabéu.
As the seconds ticked down in Lisbon back on May 24, 2014, Real Madrid’s dream of winning their 10th Champions League was slowly disappearing. Atlético Madrid held a 1–0 lead heading into stoppage time at the Estádio da Luz only needing to survive a few more minutes until the final whistle.
Ancelotti, who was in his debut season in charge of the Spanish giants, stood on the touchline looking calm as ever despite the dire circumstances of the match. After failing to win La Liga, it was no secret the Italian manager would be on the hot seat if he could not deliver in the Champions League final, especially against one of Real Madrid’s biggest rivals.
Tension was in the air as Los Blancos desperately pushed forward to test Thibaut Courtois one more time to avoid a heartbreaking end to the season. Ancelotti’s men won a last-ditch corner and Modrić took his place at the corner flag.
Like so many times before, the Croatian sent a perfect ball into the box that Sergio Ramos headed into the back of the net. The 93rd-minute equalizer sent Real Madrid into a frenzy. As the team and bench celebrated on the pitch, Ancelotti cracked his peaceful façade and pumped both fists in the air.
Real Madrid went on to win the game 4–1 and finally claimed their ever-illusive Décima. The 10th Champions League title was the first for Ancelotti and Modrić at Real Madrid.
Fast forward to May 24, 2025, and the two club icons are preparing to leave the Spanish capital. After two separate stints in charge, Ancelotti is off to manage the Brazil national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Modrić’s next destination is uncertain, but the Croatian will not renew his contract with Real Madrid after 13 years with the club.
Legends have come and gone at Real Madrid over the last century. Madridistas have gotten used to saying goodbye to players and managers that made history in a white shirt: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Zinedine Zidane, Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Toni Kroos—the list goes on.
The send off for Ancelotti and Modrić, though, is different. The two legends are the most decorated manager and player in Real Madrid history. Ancelotti won 15 trophies with Los Blancos, the most by any manager to ever have the pressure and privilege of leading the biggest club in the world. Modrić lifted a staggering 28 trophies, the most by any player in the club’s storied history.
Even more impressive is the Croatian won the Champions League six times with Real Madrid; Modrić lifted the most prestigious trophy in club soccer three times under Ancelotti and three times under Zidane. He remains only one of four players to ever win the Champions League six times, and he did it all with Real Madrid.
Both Ancelotti and Modrić have a list of records that could fill a book and a trophy cabinet most can only dream of. They are winners, plain and simple, that have achieved success on the biggest of stages. But their reputations off the pitch speak to why they are so beloved by their peers.
In the wake of their departures, players of past and present have posted tributes to the two all-time greats. Perhaps the most meaningful goodbye comes from Kroos, who just retired from the sport last season after a legendary career of his own at Real Madrid.
It was Ancelotti who brought the midfielder to Madrid after he helped Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Kroos went on to win five Champions League titles with Los Blancos, and did so alongside Modrić in midfield every step of the way.
After saying goodbye to his “partner” Modrić on social media, the German also paid tribute to Ancelotti with the following post:
“My first coach in Madrid. The last coach in my career,” Kroos wrote on Instagram. “Couldn't have asked for a better one. Gracias Mister.”
More love and support poured in for both Modrić and Ancelotti across the soccer community, but nothing will compare to the farewell they will receive at the Santiago Bernabéu. Although Modrić will still feature for Los Blancos at this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, the team’s final La Liga match of the 2024–25 season will be the last game he plays for Real Madrid at the iconic stadium.
There are countless moments fans can point to in either Modrić or Ancelotti’s careers as the biggest or the best or the most important for Real Madrid. At the heart of it all, though, will always be La Décima.
It seems only right that the two legends are departing from the Spanish capital on the anniversary of the moment that started a decade of dominance for the club that produced five more Champions League titles. They are leaving behind an touchable legacy, no matter how disappointing Real Madrid’s final season turned out.
Perhaps even more poetic is the man set to take over from Ancelotti. Xabi Alonso, who was forced to watch his team win La Décima from the stands due to suspension, is on his way to start a new era at the biggest club in the world.
In his emotional farewell letter, Modrić sent a promise to Madridistas across the globe: “We’ll see each other again. Real Madrid will always be my home for a lifetime.”
It’s true that Real Madrid will welcome Modrić and Ancelotti back with open arms as legends of the club, but there is a new age coming to the Santiago Bernabéu. Alonso, along with Real Madrid’s young core of midfielders led by Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde, have the shoes of giants to fill moving forward, all while the world watches their every step.
