REAL MADRID superstar Luka Modric has pleaded with Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine as he has first-hand experience of the devastation of war.
As a child, Modric and his family were caught up in the 1991-1995 Croatian War of Independence.
I grew up during war and I don’t wish it on anyone. We must stop this nonsense where innocent people die. We want to live in peace. #StopWar
— Luka Modrić (@lukamodric10) February 27, 2022
When he was six-years-old, his grandfather Luka Modric Snr was shot and killed by Serbian militia in a small village called Modrici in 1991.
It was devastating for the boy, who was raised by Modric Snr while his parents Stipe and Radojka worked long hours in a knitwear factory to support the family.
This week’s harrowing scenes of Russian troops entering suburbs and cities in Ukraine moved the 146-cap Croatia star to plead for an end to the violence immediately.
He tweeted: “I grew up during war and I don’t wish it on anyone.
“We must stop this nonsense where innocent people die.
Modric emerged from his traumatic childhood to become officially the best footballer in the world in 2018 with his Ballon d’Or win.
He is still regarded as one of the best playmakers in the game after a career which has seen him have starring roles at Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham and now Real.
Premier League fans regularly saw him dominate games for Spurs but it is during his current decade-long spell in Madrid where he has collected a raft of top honours, including four Champions League wins.
Modric also led Croatia to the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia as their captain and – despite defeat to France in the final – he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament.