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Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic slams 'egotist' Cristiano Ronaldo

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo for being displeased over his former teammate Luka Modric winning the best UEFA Player award.

Luka Modric (centre) with Cristiano Ronaldo (left) during the latters time with Real Madrid

Bengaluru, September 3: Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo for being displeased over his former teammate Luka Modric winning the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award.

It's after six-long years that the UEFA's Best Player award was conferred to someone other than Ronaldo or Barcelona's Lionel Messi. However, Ronaldo, the winner for the 2016/17 season, was unhappy that he was not named the best player. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes reacted angrily to his client not winning the accolade, saying it was "ridiculous" and "shameful."

Modric’s national team coach Dalic has now come out in support of the player, who was named the Golden Ball in the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. Dalic led his team to the final of the WC and feels Modric rightly deserves the award.

When asked about Ronaldo, Dalic didn't hold back. "Ronaldo not attending the UEFA ceremony and those comments about Luka winning it...it is not worthy of my comment!," the Croatia boss was quoted as saying by Sportske Novosti.

"It only proves what I keep saying: Ronaldo is an egotist and I'd never want him in my team!”

“He is the kind of player that only thinks, 'no matter if we lose, the only thing that matters is that I score a goal!”

Ronaldo not receiving the award is still debatable though. As usual, the Portuguese had a brilliant campaign in the Champions League, scoring 15 goals in Madrid’s third consecutive victory. Ronaldo became the first person to score in all six group stage matches of the campaign and only person to score in 11 straight Champions League matches.

Dalic, however, heaped praise on Modric and feels the World Cup finallist is a better pick than Ronaldo.

"Luka Modric is a great player and person and all of the fame and glory, titles with Real, didn't change him at all.

“He's gone through things the hard way, but that’s the way every player should go, not leave the Croatian league at age of 18.

“It would have been too early for him to retire [from international duty], he should be at his peak at Euro 2020.”

Modric is now the only player alongside Brazil great Ronaldo to win the World Cup Golden Ball and UEFA best player in a single campaign. Modric is also the favourite to claim the Ballon d'Or award.

Story first published: Monday, September 3, 2018, 14:17 [IST]
Other articles published on Sep 3, 2018