Real Madrid legend’s daughter joins the club’s La Fabrica youth academy | OneFootball

The “father to daughter” football legacy is becoming an increasingly common sight, with more and more girls given the opportunity to play the sport professionally from a young age, particularly when raised around it.

Real Madrid’s youth academy has already produced several such examples. Now, Ema Modric, daughter of club legend Luka Modric, has become the latest to join La Fabrica.

Ema Modric arrives at Valdebebas

As reported by AS, the 13-year-old, who previously stood out at AC Milan’s youth academy, has joined the club’s Cadete (U16) side.

The team kicked off their pre-season on Tuesday with their first training session at Pitch 10 of Real Madrid City, beginning with mobility exercises before moving on to passing and possession drills.

The side, who will compete in the First Regional Cadet Division of the Community of Madrid this season, are led by Hector Bueno, assisted by Estefania Lopez, with Luis Palomeque as physical trainer and Antonio Marin as goalkeeping coach.

This is not Ema’s first experience wearing Real Madrid colours. Born in Madrid in 2013, she previously played for Madrid CFF up until Alevin level, the club boasting Europe’s largest girls’ academy.

This was before Real Madrid’s own girls’ setup, which only begins at Cadete level, became an option.

Following a growing trend

Modric’s daughter is not the only one. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Ema’s arrival continues a pattern that has become increasingly familiar at Real Madrid in recent years.

Maria Gonzalez, daughter of club icon Raul Gonzalez, joined the Cadete team back in 2022 and has been prolific ever since, scoring 47 goals last season alone, including a recent strike against Manchester City in Shanghai.

The reserve squad has also featured Bibiana Casquero and Dolo Delgado, daughters of former professionals Javier Casquero and Matias Delgado, while Roberto Carlos’ daughter, Manuela da Silva, previously represented the Cadete side as well.

Meanwhile, Modric was briefly linked with a return to Real Madrid in the summer as part of the club’s coaching staff. But the move did not materialise.