The UEFA ceremony went down in Monaco on Thursday as the 2018/19 Champions League Group Stage round was drawn out, not to mention the European football governing body handing out a slew of awards.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah were nominated for the evening’s most coveted award; ‘UEFA Men’s Player of the Year 2017/18’.
The Croatian star ultimately raised silverware following his incredible campaign for Real Madrid last season, which saw the midfielder produce heroics as ‘Los Blancos’ bagged their third consecutive Champions League.
He pipped Ronaldo and Salah, receiving 332 votes compared to Ronaldo’s 223 points and Salah’s 134 points.
That’s despite Ronaldo chipping in with an impressive 15 goals.
Modric and Salah were both in attendance for UEFA’s gala. Unlike Ronaldo who stayed at home.
And it’s being reported by AS that he failed to turn up because he knew he wasn’t going to win.
Not a good look, Cristiano.
The decision to name Modric didn’t go down well with Ronaldo’s immediate family.
His sister blasted UEFA on social media.
His sister wasn’t the only person to question the outcome.
Ronaldo’s super agent Jorge Mendes went even further by calling the verdict ‘ridiculous’ and ‘shameful’.
“Football is played on the field and that’s where Cristiano won,” he told Portuguese outlet Record via Sky Sports.
“He scored 15 goals, carried Real Madrid on his back and conquered the Champions League again.
“It’s ridiculous, shameful. The winner is not in doubt, as Ronaldo is the best in his position.”
To be fair, Modric also had an incredible season for Real Madrid.
He pulled the strings in the middle of the park, and was a vital cog in Real Madrid’s midfield wheel.
While he didn’t score as many goals as Ronaldo, Modric’s endeavour in the engine room shouldn’t go unnoticed.
sportbible.com
