Ivkovic, who was Croatia's assistant coach when Modric made his international debut, recalled the match where Modric played for the first time. The match was a friendly against Argentina in Basel.

Modric was 20 years old and playing for Dinamo Zagreb at the time. He played an excellent match, and Croatia won 3-2.

Ivkovic remembers Modric as an intelligent player who thought ahead of his teammates and had a good understanding of the game.

Ivkovic recently watched AC Milan play against Napoli and was impressed with their performance. He also praised Modric's ability to maintain his level of play at 40 years old.

Ivkovic believes that medical professionals should study Modric's case to understand how he is able to continue playing at such a high level.

Ivkovic has been involved in football for 54 years and considers Modric the best Croatian player of all time. He also believes Modric is one of the top 10 players in history.