Luka Modrić’s birthplace is located at the foot of Velebit in Zaton Obrovački. Unfortunately, it is now a ruin after being set on fire during the war. Despite this, it has become a tourist sensation. A Zadar travel agency recently received an unusual request from three Chinese women visiting Croatia to see Modrić play against Armenia. They wanted to visit Modrić’s birthplace, thinking it was a museum or something similar. However, they were disappointed to find only an empty ruin.
Teo Kanjer, the owner of the travel agency “Dalma Travel,” was worried about the safety of the women due to the presence of mines. Despite this, he decided to take them to the Stanovi Stadium where Luka began his football journey. There, they found the gates locked and had to view the field from afar. However, one of the women recognized the old parking lot from Modrić’s biography, specifically the former hotel “Iž” where Luka spent his earlier days in Zadar.
The women’s enthusiasm for Modrić’s history and the connections they made to his past left a lasting impression on the owner of the travel agency.