December 28, 2021 - The Guardian, which has been making a list of the 100 best footballers of the year since 2012, recently published its ranking for 2021. Two Croatian players made the list. Find out who they are and where they rank.

Since 2012, The Guardian publishes a list of the 100 players who stood out the most in the year. The collective achievements with both their clubs and national teams, as well as their individual performance, are decisive factors in assembling the ranking. In 2021, two Croatian players have been included in the top 100 footballers of the year: Luka Modrić and Marcelo Brozović. You can check the full list here.

Despite the fact that the Croatian national team failed to repeat in EURO 2020 what they achieved in the last World Cup in Russia in 2018, they managed to secure their ticket to the next World Cup in 2022 in Qatar. In this way, Croatia finishes in 15th place in the last FIFA ranking of the year, being 11th in Europe.

But 2021 was, despite everything, a year of very good results for Croatian players around the continent. For example, Mateo Kovačić managed to lift his fourth Champions League, his first with Chelsea FC. However, the two Croatian players on The Guardian's list were Real Madrid's Luka Modrić and Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozović.

Photo: Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL

The historic captain of the Croatian national team continues to defend the Real Madrid crest with the same energy and passion as in the past decade, despite his 36 years. Years pass and the Zadar-born footballer continues to own his position in the white midfield, well ahead of young footballers who have come to the club in recent years such as Federico Valverde, Martin Odegaard, or Dani Ceballos. Luka is ranked 40th on the list, and The Guardian writes the following about his inclusion:

‘‘Ah, Luka, don’t ever go. At the start of last season it looked like he might, like time had finally caught up with him, like Madrid’s midfield was about to be renewed, and that was reflected in this list: he was 71st. But then he returned to the heart of everything good and this season he has been superb. Up 31 places – and he could be even further up than that. Aged 36, he’s still better than the rest. Just don’t say the word rest to him. “I feel happier when I’m playing,” he says.’’

Indeed, Luka did not get any title with Real Madrid at the end of the 2020/21 season, but he was chosen as the Player of the Season by the club and the fans. Likewise, in the course of this season (which is also taken into account when drawing up the list at the end of the year), Luka has been decisive in placing Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table, much less in front of their eternal rivals, Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona. For his teammates, Luka continues to play as a promising youngster and that is, in addition to motivating, important for the team's performance both in attack and defense.

Marcelo Brozović is the second national representative on the list of the 100 best footballers in 2021. The 29-year-old Zagreb-born midfielder won the Serie A title with his club, Inter Milan, thus breaking the dominance of his eternal rivals, Juventus, who had just won 9 Scudettos in a row. Brozović was in fact one of the determining players in Antonio Conte's team, along with Nicolo Barella in midfield, and Lautaro Martínez and Romelu Lukaku in attack, all of them also included among the 100 best footballers of the year.

''Brozo'' arrived on the neroazzurro team in 2015 from Dinamo Zagreb, and it has been the passage of time that has managed to forge his maturity as a footballer. Thus, the midfielder has gone from being a discreet player to one of the most notorious for his involvement both in defensive work, as well as when providing assists to his teammates and even scoring goals on his own.

About Brozovic, who was ranked 81st on the list, The Guardian wrote:

‘‘Antonio Conte defined Brozović as “the darling of the [Inter] team” that won the Scudetto for the first time since 2010. Even in a side that prided themselves on hard graft, the Croatian pushed himself further than the rest – covering more distance per game than any other player in Serie A last season. Yet Brozovic is much more than a domestique peddling away anonymously so that teammates can shine. His vision and incisive passing were fundamental to Inter’s fast-break approach under Conte, and remain so now that Simone Inzaghi is adapting the Nerazzurri to a more possession-focused approach.’’

Marcelo Brozović continues to be decisive in the functioning of the Italian team, and this is how they are currently positioned at the top of the Serie A table. Inter is currently working on the renewal of the Croatian midfielder's contract, as they consider him as a fundamental piece of the neroazzurro project. It should be noted that the two Croatian players faced each other in the group stage of the Champions League, and both made it to the round of 16.

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November 21, 2021 - Has Rennes found a new Luka Modrić in Lovro Majer? French daily Le Figaro weighs in. 

The oldest French daily Le Figaro published an inspiring story about Lovro Majer thanks to his brilliant form at Rennes. Recall, the young Croatian transferred to Rennes from Dinamo last summer and was the star of the Croatia national team against Malta, scoring two goals, reports Index.hr. 

"Before the match against Lyon on November 7, Lovro Majer was not even on Zlatko Dalić's list for the last two World Cup qualifiers, but with his 4:1 victory, he forced the coach to invite him. The next day he flew from Brittany to prepare for Malta and Russia," begins Le Figaro's text entitled "What if Rennes found a new Luka Modrić?".

The French daily reminds that Majer started for Croatia for the first time on the right side of the attack and scored two goals with his right foot, even though he is left-footed. They also mentioned that Croatian media write about Maier in superlatives and compare him to captain Luka Modrić.

"As he develops alongside his idol, Majer intends to tie his name to Croatia in the long run," adds Le Figaro, and then briefly recounts his club career, from Posavina to Rennes.

Majer missed a month at the start of the season due to injury but enters the winter with a lot of physical freshness.

"He ran more than 13 kilometers against Mura in the Conference League. Those characteristics and technical qualities make him a playmaker," said Rennes coach Bruno Genesio and praised Majer's adaptability and versatility.

The French daily reminds that Majer wanted to go to Olympique Marseille last winter, but it was Rennes that brought him over for 12 million euro.

"I had other options, but Rennes' style of play prevailed. The French league is advancing every year and becoming more popular. I needed a new challenge and a change in life and career," Majer explained when signing a five-year contract with the club.

At the end of the text, the author explains that after playing against Lyon, the fans will remember Majer's name because it was nearly perfect. He guarded the ball, controlled the game, and participated in three of his team’s four goals. On the right side of the midfield, the young left-footer made the penultimate pass for each of those goals. After the game, he was praised by coach Genesio. But Majer still has only one goal - leaving a mark on the club and the national team.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 16, 2021 - Zlatko Dalić hinted at who should replace Luka Modrić as the future Croatia captain - and he happens to be one of the biggest European stars this year. 

A tearful Zlatko Dalić was seen at the final whistle after Croatia secured their spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Dalić admitted that this dramatic ending to the World Cup qualifications was moving and he was delighted to lead Croatia to defend the World Cup silver next year. 

In an interview with Nova TV, Dalić was full of emotions. 

"One of my biggest victories; it meant a lot to me. Especially because it was the final, played in front of a full stadium, and it took us to Qatar. I was just emotionally broken. This time I couldn't stand it with so much pressure and stress. We wanted Croatia to qualify; we prevailed, in those moments I couldn't control myself, everything was released."

He announced that Croatia could move to a system with three players in the back.

"We will try a formation with three defenders. We will need to prepare very well for the World Cup. There will not be many terms to play, we have to expect great things from Croatia, but we cannot get a result without these older players."

There has been a lot of talk about returning Ivan Rakitić to the national team.

"I am in contact with him. Ivan did not have the opportunity to be with us because of Covid-19; now was the chance to thank him, and we invited him to Split. He retired, so we will see. If the need arises, we will talk, but one should look at our youth. However, Ivan said that if the need arises, he is there."

Dalić then praised Mato Kovačić.

"I have to point out Mateo Kovačić. He is Modrić's successor; he should become the captain of the national team. He is the biggest winner in 2021; he is the European champion, he plays great for the national team, he goes to the top, he cannot be replaced when he is healthy."

Modrić does not want to rest.

"Modrić wanted to play against Malta, I even wanted to replace him at half-time, and he wanted to play more. Luckily these young players can learn from him. The younger ones will progress much faster with the older ones like Modrić, Lovren, and Brozović."

Ivo Grbić was in goal for Croatia's last two games. 

"We changed the goalkeeper, we estimated that he is in better shape, but Livaković is still number one in the national team, and it is up to him to work and prove himself again. We have no problems with goalkeepers. Grbić deserved to defend, and Livaković must be even better to remain number one.

I have been leading the national team for five years. No money or contract can ruin this for me. Of course, there were difficult moments, but I forgot all that. What I experienced is irreplaceable. The fans are our strength," concluded Dalić.

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November 13, 2021 - The Croatia national team is in Split ahead of the last 2022 World Cup qualifier against Russia at Poljud on Sunday. Zlatko Dalić and Luka Modrić addressed the press on Saturday and agreed that the Croatia-Russia qualifier at Poljud is the final. 

After defeating Malta 7:1 in Valletta, morale is high - and a sold-out Poljud stadium is the best motivation to secure a spot at the World Cup next year in Qatar. 

Zlatko Dalić and Luka Modrić addressed the press at Poljud on Saturday to discuss the critically important match on Sunday. Only the winner is guaranteed a spot in Qatar. 

"We will see how Russia will play tomorrow. We have to be strong from the start; we know what we want. We need to be aggressive. That will be the most important tomorrow," said Luka to open the conference. 

"I know all the Russia players, and they have many young talented players as well. The ambient in Split is phenomenal, and I believe it will be that way tomorrow, and that will give us the motive to play well and bring us the win," Luka added. 

"This is football; this is sport. We believe in ourselves; we have a good team. The pitch is the only measure. We will decide on the pitch the better team. 

We knew when we saw the qualifying group that Russia would be the toughest. Tomorrow is the final, for them and for us. That makes it a different kind of game. We are the favorite in front of our fans, and we will show that on the pitch.

This is the most crucial game for us since the 2018 World Cup. This is the most important game for this team.

We are 100% focused on this game. We will show that tomorrow. Split and Poljud mean a lot. I remember the last match against Hungary, and the ambient was already there when we went to warm up. So this will be the motivation for us. 

The atmosphere is really good in the team, and of course, when we win and play well, that lifts the atmosphere. The young players have shown that we can count on them. I am pleased with the future of Croatia football," concluded Luka Modrić. 

"All players with us are in great shape. Nikola Vlašić is in much better form than the last Croatia action together. 

Russia was tough in the World Cup. A lot of players we played against at the World Cup are no longer on the team. They have many young new players now. But this is a different game than at the 2018 World Cup - this is a final," said coach Zlatko Dalić. 

"We knew this game had to be in Split due to the atmosphere and the public. However, all of our games played around Croatia have had an incredible atmosphere. I always feel good in Split, welcomed, and I am happy. I am calm and focused on tomorrow's game. 

We won't change many details in the lineup from Malta. We have a lot of good attackers. Vlašić is back; Majer had an incredible game against Malta. Pašalić is in brilliant form. But we don't want to change a lot in the lineup," added Dalić. 

"We are fighters, winners, and will do that tomorrow. But, we have to be smart," concluded Dalić. 

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October 31, 2021 - The Real Madrid captain armband was worn by a Croatian footballer for the first time in history on Saturday, and it's no surprise that Croatia captain Luka Modrić had the honor. 

In the Real Madrid victory against Elche (2:1), Luka Modić had the honor of wearing the captain's armband of one of the biggest clubs in the world. The Croatia captain also wore it for the first time in his career, reports Index.hr.

Real returned to the top of the table with their victory in this match, and the hero was Vinicius Junior, who scored both goals. He scored first in the 22nd minute, after an assist by Diaz, and then shook the net after Modrić's assist in the 73rd minute.

The home side played with a man down from the 63rd minute after Guti received a second yellow card but again scored in the 86th minute. The shooter was Milla, but Elche couldn't do more than that.

Modrić left the pitch in the 84th minute when Camavinga replaced him. The Croatian midfielder was wearing the captain's armband of the great Real at that moment, taking it in the 65th minute when Marcelo was subbed off, and then handed it over to Carvajal when he walked off. 

So far, six Croats have played for Real Madrid. Apart from Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Robert Prosinečki, Robert Jarni, Igor Jovićević and Davor Šuker played for the royal club.

Modrić has played 401 games for Real and is currently 20th on the list of players with the most appearances for the Madrid team, with whom he was twice champion of Spain and four times champion of Europe.

"Modrić just keeps on going with Real Madrid. The Croatian played his 400th Real Madrid game in the Clasico victory at Camp Nou. The midfielder has racked up 261 wins and scored 28 goals during that time. He has won everything in his 10 seasons with the team: 4 Champions League titles, 4 Club World Cups, 3 European Super Cups, 2 LaLiga titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 3 Spanish Super Cups.
 
Modrić's games for Real Madrid have come in six competitions: 272 in LaLiga, 89 in the Champions League, 22 in the Copa del Rey, 7 in the Spanish Super Cup, 6 in the Club World Cup and 4 in the European Super Cup. His highest number of appearances in one campaign was in the 2012/13 season, with 53," wrote Real Madrid on its website last week. 

"It's incredible, I'm very proud to have played 400 games for Real Madrid. I'm very happy and very proud. I hope to keep playing more games and to see how many more games I can play," said Modrić on his achievement. 

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October 19, 2021 - Croatia captain and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić has spoken out against the biennial World Cup plan, which would move the international event from every 4 to 2 years. 

Former best footballer in the world and captain of the Croatia national football team Luka Modrić said he did not want the World Cup every two years, reports Gol.hr.

"For me, the World Cup every two years makes no sense. The World Cup is special precisely because it is an event that takes place only every four years," Modrić said at a news conference in Kyiv on Monday before the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar. 

"I would not like to see the World Cup - every two years. But, as you (journalists) said, they do not ask us much for an opinion," Modrić added.

FIFA still does not give up on the idea of introducing the World Cup every two years. On the contrary, the organization is conducting a feasibility study on the practicality of organizing championships every two years despite fierce criticism from various federations, clubs, players, and fan groups.

FIFA also announced that it would organize video conferences this week to gather the "point of view" of football coaches on the reform of the international calendar and the introduction of the World Cup every two years.

"The reputation of an event depends on its quality, not its frequency. Every year you have a Super Bowl, Wimbledon or the Champions League, everyone is excited and waiting for them," said International Football Federation (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino during a recent visit to Israel.

The Croatia captain also commented on speculations that the Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is one of the primary candidates for the Golden Ball.

The award, given by the prestigious France Football, was won by the 36-year-old Croatian footballer in 2018, and this year he is among the 30 remaining players up for the prestigious award.

"There are a few candidates who can win. For me, Karim is one of them. He deserved it because of how he played this year and how he played in recent years. Besides, he won the Nations League with France, and that's important when voting for this award," Modrić said.

Real Madrid is in second place in Group D of the Champions League with three points, while Sheriff is in the lead with six points. Shakhtar and Inter have one point each.

"We have a crucial game ahead of us. Especially because we lost the last one at home. We have no more room for mistakes. We have to enter the game like Real Madrid, with confidence and strength. We were not at the best level in the last three games, but the national team break was welcome. We are ready to play a good game," Modrić said.

"When you play for Real Madrid, you have to get used to the criticism. If you win, everything goes great, but when the results happen to us, like in the last three games, doubts begin whether we are at a good level or not. We don't worry much; we trust ourselves and our qualities," he concluded.

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October 10, 2021 - Zlatko Dalić addressed the press in Osijek on Sunday with captain Luka Modrić. The coach announced how the Croatia starting 11 against Slovakia would look, especially with the absence of Mateo Kovačić. 

A crucial 2022 World Cup qualifying match awaits the Croatia national team on Monday at 20:45 at City Garden Stadium in Osijek. Croatia will face Slovakia in the 8th round of qualifications for the World Cup in Qatar. A possible victory would keep them in first place in the group ahead of the last two rounds held in November.

Two days ago, Croatia beat Cyprus 3:0 on the road and thus continued a series of winning results and a game without conceding a goal. Croatia is currently tied with Russia, which plays against Slovenia in Maribor on Monday.

Zlatko Dalić, as well as captain Luka Modrić, appeared before the press in Osijek at 17:00 at the final press conference before the match against Slovakia. Croatia's last training at City Garden is scheduled for 17:30. 

"We have to respect Slovakia; they are a top national team and can be tough. It doesn't matter who will play for them; we have to be good," said coach Zlatko Dalić at the beginning.

"Our goal is to win as many points as possible and secure a place in the World Cup. We know how much tomorrow's game means to us, perhaps the most important qualifying match. Russia has a difficult visit to Slovenia. This is a chance for us to get closer to Qatar with the victory," Dalić added.

Dalić announced changes in the defense, despite a good performance in recent games.

"We haven't conceded a goal in six games, but tomorrow is an important exam. As good as we were in Cyprus, it was not a benchmark. Tomorrow is a situation where we must not receive pain. We will make changes in the lineup, but not because someone played badly, but we want even more energy. We will put in a couple of fresh players; some of our players are not standard, so it is difficult to repeat two games in three days. Vida is returning to his position," Dalić explained and praised Osijek player Mile Škorić.

"He deserved the invitation, but the competition is great for him. So we will see; I would like the situation to open up for him," Dalić added.

"I am looking forward to the competition in the national team, players who bring new energy and strength. We have to confirm this to get continuity. Everyone works well, and whoever I play, I will not make a mistake," said the Croatia coach, who added that the atmosphere is good because the results and overall team play are good.

"The result dictates everything; we play well, so the atmosphere is great. What makes us happy is the atmosphere and the result; the atmosphere was not worse at the Euros, but the result was missing."

Mate Kovačić will not play due to yellow cards.

"Pašalić will replace him; he will go to his position. Because he is good in the end, and we miss such a player, he has the best of all players, so there is no dilemma. Pašalić will start," said Dalić and added that Duje Ćaleta-Car will not start from the first minute.

Source: HRT

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October 9, 2021 - Luka Modrić receives nomination for the most prestigious football award, and the captain of the Croatian national team and Real Madrid star is once again on the list of footballers nominated for France Football's Ballon d'Or for the 2021 season.

After a decade filled with unforgettable memories, individual awards, championships, impressive goals, and more, the veteran Croatian national team captain and undisputed midfield starter for Real Madrid continues to garner accolades to this day. Yesterday, France Football magazine published a list of candidates for the prestigious Ballon d'Or for the 2021 season, and the Croatian legend again appears along with 29 other elite footballers, as Luka Modrić receives nomination after winning it in 2018.

In the 2020-21 season, the second affected by the pandemic, Luka Modrić reached second place in La Liga with Real Madrid and the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they lost to Chelsea. Despite the result, Modrić was included in the ideal eleven of the top European club tournament. With his club, Luka had 48 appearances and 6 goals that season. With the Croatian national team, Luka Modrić captained the team again at EURO 2020, where he scored a magnificent goal in Croatia's last group stage match against Scotland. Unfortunately, the team only made it to the round of 16, where they lost 3-5 against Spain after extra time, in a frenzied match that they heroically tied in the last stages.

France Football announced yesterday the 30 candidates for the Ballon d'Or, and Luka Modric appears again among them. (France Football/Twitter)

But Luka's level goes beyond the numbers and the results. Despite the fact that in recent years many players of the age of the Croatian footballer have retired from football or left Europe to play in less competitive leagues, Modrić continues to be a fundamental piece in the schemes of both Zlatko Dalić in the national team, as well as for Carlo Ancelotti in Real Madrid, a club of which Luka has been a part since 2012. At Real Madrid, for example, several younger players have tried to take over from the Croatian midfielder in recent years. However, players like Dani Ceballos, Marcos Llorente, Federico Valverde, Isco, or Eduardo Camavinga, have been unable to start before the Croatian, and have had to choose to be substituted or be transferred to other clubs.

Luka Modrić receives nomination and is once again a candidate for the Ballon d'Or, which was awarded to him with a wide advantage in 2018 after his spectacular season with Real Madrid, winning the Champions League for the fourth time, and after a historic feat at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he led the Croatian national team to the final. This year, Luka justifies his nomination due to his consistent performance and enormous mental, physical, and football abilities at 36, extending a fruitful and remarkable career far beyond.

Today, Luka is defending first place in La Liga and second in his group in the Champions League. While with the Croatian national team, the captain is currently playing the qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup, where he was part of the team that beat Cyprus 3-0 yesterday in Larnaca.

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October 6, 2021 - Captain Luka Modrić returns to Croatia for the first time since the EURO 2020 match against Spain! 

Ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus and Slovakia, the Croatia national team held a training, also attended by captain Luka Modrić. reports Gol.hr.

Since he missed the September qualifiers, Modrić played his last game in the national team jersey at the European Championship against Spain in June.

Goran Stanzl/PIXSELL

Everyone could hardly wait for Luka's return to the national team, confirmed by assistant Vedran Ćorluka. Modrić arrived at the national team camp on Monday night, and on Tuesday night, had his first training session with Croatia after a long break.

©️ The captain @lukamodric10 at #Croatia practice session ?? #BeProud #Vatreni❤️‍? pic.twitter.com/IdFKAVTKzG

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) October 5, 2021

Unfortunately, the national team lost Josip Juranović and Dejan Lovren before the October qualifiers, while Domagoj Vida will miss one game. Thus, Josip Stanišić, a Bayern player and the new star of Croatia, could make his debut as a right back.

"Lovren and Juranović will not come to the gathering. We agreed, due to their injuries and the current situation that they stay at their clubs and train. Juranović dropped out, and Lovren will not be with us for the first week, and we will see if he will be OK for the match against Slovakia. We have a situation with stoppers, but I wouldn’t say a problem either because we have a lot of quality in that part of the game. We activated the callups to Ćaleta-Car and Pongračić, they are in full training, although they did not play all the games," said Dalić on Monday. 

Coach Zlatko Dalić sees Stanišić in the first match against Cyprus, and maybe against Slovakia, played in Osijek on October 11 at 20:45.

Unfortunately, Mislav Oršić missed Tuesday's training due to ankle discomfort, and the medical team did not want to take any risks. However, the Dinamo player should be ready for the qualifiers against Cyprus and Slovakia.

Tuesday's training also featured goalkeeper Simon Sluga, who arrived as a replacement for the injured Ivica Ivušić.

On Monday, Croatia also trained at the Hitrec-Kacian auxiliary ground at Maksimir Stadium. Nikola Vlašić's 24th birthday celebration enhanced the already great atmosphere. 

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October 3, 2021 - The latest on the Luka Modrić Real Madrid contract extension as Marca reports the Croatia captain could stay at the royal club beyond 2022.

Gol.hr reports that Croatia captain Luka Modrić signed with Real until 2022. However, Spanish sports daily Marca wrote in the text entitled "Luka Modrić: To Infinity and Beyond" that he could stay at the club after the summer of 2022, i.e., extend his contract for another year when his current contract expires.

"Modrić agreed to a lower salary as he realized his dream and ended his career at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner plans to play for another two or three years and is still a key player at Real although his replacements Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camaving are ready," writes Marca. 

"He is physically in better shape than in previous years. Last year he was fantastic with 48 games played, and that is why Real is planning to fulfill his dream and allow him to conclude his career with a contract until the summer of 2023. There are no official negotiations yet, but the club is open to that idea."

If Modrić succeeds, it will be good news for Croatia because the captain will not have to look for a new club for the last season of his playing career and appearance at the World Cup in Qatar. Recall that the World Cup will be played in the winter of 2022, and since Luka has a valid contract until the summer of next year, he would have to sign with another club for a year if he leaves Madrid, all to be in shape for Croatia in Qatar.

If he signs a new contract with Real, he will end his career in Madrid and be ready for the World Cup there.

He would also get the honor Zidane received last - playing his final official match in a Real Madrid jersey.

This honor was not given to many legends like Sergio Ramos, Raul, or Iker Casillas, who had to conclude their famous careers elsewhere. The last to do so was the legendary Zizou, though the Croatia national team captain could follow in his footsteps.

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