Slaven Bilic has not wasted any time getting to the hardest question waiting for him. His first major task as Croatia’s new head coach is not a tactical tweak, not a squad reshuffle and not a grand promise about the future. It is Luka Modrić.
That is exactly how it should be. When a player is described as “much more than the best player in our national team's history,” you do not glide past the issue with polite nonsense. You talk to him. You ask the question directly. And you accept that the final decision belongs to the player himself.
Modrić is still the centre of the conversation
Bilic, now in his second spell in charge of Croatia, said at his unveiling press conference that he would speak with Modrić about his international future. He added that he had already spoken to him a year ago, and that one of his first moves will be to speak with him again. The message is plain enough: Croatia want Modrić to continue, but nobody is pretending he should be forced into a decision that only he can make.
There is no mystery about why this is such a big issue. Croatia are coming out of a World Cup exit, Zlatko Dalic has stepped away after nine years in charge, and the national team’s next chapter begins with uncertainty. Modrić’s own future is part of that uncertainty, both for Croatia and at club level with Milan. That alone tells you how much weight this one player still carries.
For more on the wider context around the veteran midfielder, see Luka Modric to lead Croatia against England at 40, Ante Budimir included, while the longer-run significance of his international milestones is also reflected in Luka Modric nears 200 as Panama Vs Croatia turns decisive and Luka Modrić Reaches 200 Caps in Croatia World Cup Group L Match.
Why Bilic is right to put this first
This is not sentimental fluff. It is common sense. If Modrić wants to keep playing, Croatia would be foolish not to listen carefully. If he is ready to step away, then the conversation still matters because it defines the tone of the new era. Bilic is being honest about the scale of the decision, and that honesty is refreshing.
He also made clear that he knows exactly what Modrić means to Croatia. That matters, because this cannot be treated like an ordinary squad question. It is not just about whether a 41-year-old in September can still do a job. It is about leadership, standards and identity. Croatia have spent years building around a player who has carried the shirt with extraordinary consistency. That kind of influence does not disappear simply because a managerial cycle changes.
The bigger point is that Bilic has chosen the right first conversation. He is not pretending the post-Dalic transition is about starting from zero. It is about deciding how much of the old spine should remain in place, and Modrić is the spine. Whether he stays or goes, the answer will shape Croatia more than any shiny slogan about a reset ever could.
So yes, this is the right priority. Bilic has been given a new chance to lead Croatia, and his first instinct is to speak to the one man who still defines them. That is not a sign of hesitation. It is a sign that he understands exactly where the power still sits.
