Luka Modric believes Barcelona can succeed without Lionel Messi, citing Real Madrid’s ultimate ability to cope with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Zinedine Zidane’s side claimed the La Liga title last season as Real claimed their biggest piece silverware in the aftermath of Ronaldo’s move to Juventus in 2018.
Though Los Blancos have struggled in the Champions League since they lost their Portuguese star, they have eventually adapted to his absence.
With Lionel Messi now himself pushing for an exit from Barcelona, Modric sees parallels between the two situations and is backing other players to fill the void that the Argentine would leave behind.
“It would be a huge loss. Like when Cristiano left. But you can’t think about the past. It’s football and that’s it,” Modric told AFP.
“If it happens it will be a huge loss for the prestige of the league. But we need to go forward. Other players will become stars.
“When Ronaldo left, the same thing happened, the life of Real Madrid went on without him and it will be the same for Barcelona and La Liga without Messi.” (Goal).