the Story Behind Luka Modric Securing the Number 10 Shirt at Real Madrid
Zidane stated,
"After taking over Real Madrid, I realized how the '10' became a completely ordinary jersey. However, it must be worn by a special player, a paragon of excellence that everyone looks up to—the player everyone wants to become.
I stood in front of the dressing room and asked the players who they thought should wear it. It will belong to a player who almost never makes a mistake on the pitch and who you look to when the key games get difficult, the one you all look for, the one you all want to pass the ball to. When I finished, everyone was looking at Luka Modric."