Real Madrid star Luka Modric surprisingly includes former Barcelona star in his 5-a-side team

Real Madrid midfield maestro Luka Modric has named former Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic in his 5-a-side team.

The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner went on to pick four Los Blancos players along with a rival player in the form of Rakitic.

When asked to pick a 5-a-side team, Luka Modric was quoted as saying the following (via Madrid Xtra on Twitter):

“Ramos, Cristiano, Kroos, Bale and I would say Rakitic because I can’t have all Real Madrid, but of course Casemiro and Benzema too.”

There is a reason behind why Modric picked Ivan Rakitic in his 5-a-side team. The former Barcelona midfielder is a former international teammate to Modric. The pair have formed part of one of Croatia's best-ever teams in their recent history.

Both Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic were part of the Croatian squad which reached the FIFA World Cup final back in 2018. The pair, however, suffered a 4-2 defeat to France on that occasion.

Ivan Rakitic, however, retired from international football back in 2020. The current Sevilla midfielder went on to earn 106 caps for the Croatian national team and scored 15 goals along the way.

Luka Modric, on the other hand, is still going strong for Real Madrid at the age of 37. He has made 35 appearances for Los Blancos this season across all competitions and has contributed six goals and five assists along the way.

It is worth mentioning that Modric has less than six months remaining on his current contract at the Santiago Bernabeu. There have been talks that the Croat will pen yet another contract extension with Real Madrid in the coming months.

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How far are Real Madrid off Barcelona in the La Liga standings?

Carlo Ancelotti's side are struggling to defend their La Liga title this season. They are currently second in the standings, having picked up 56 points from 25 games. Real Madrid are trailing arch-rivals Barcelona by nine points with 13 matches remaining in the 2022-23 La Liga season.

The two sides have already played each other once in the league this season. Los Blancos picked up a 3-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde, and Rodrygo Goes were the goalscorers for Los Blancos on that occasion.

Barcelona can get their record straight when they face their rivals at the Camp Nou later this month. The El Clasico is scheduled to take place on March 19.