Cristiano Ronaldo’s life is harder than you may think. There are days his six pack abs do not show off very well or a fan takes a bad selfie of him. Sometimes he does not even score for two or three games.
But this? Not winning what would have been a 98th trophy? Not having to clear space in your cabinet for another award. Now that, that, is really tough.
This is the nightmare that unfolded Thursday at the UEFA awards ceremony when Real Madrid’s midfield maestro Luka Modric beat out Ronaldo and Salah for the UEFA Men's Player of the Year trophy.
“I am really enjoying this.”
Real Madrid ace Luka Modric was a very happy man after he was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year. #RMCF #LaLiga #UCL pic.twitter.com/TxiQxLgKyT— Goal UK (@GoalUK) August 31, 2018
Those who have watched him for 15 years or even 15 minutes know that CR7, who decided not to attend last night, was less than thrilled by the committee’s decision. His new manager Max Allegri discussed and defended the Portuguese star’s discontent:
Max Allegri says @cristiano is angry pic.twitter.com/bPi6oaozQg
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 31, 2018
Ronaldo’s sister was also rather salty about the snub. She made and then quickly deleted a post on Instagram comparing the numbers of her brother and Modric last Champions League season, telling followers to “draw your own conclusions.”
Photo: @CRonaldoNews | Twitter
All jokes aside, Ronaldo was certainly very deserving of the honor, having scored 15 goals and notching three assists in 12 games. He has constantly been the focal point of Madrid’s glory and rightfully so at many times.
However, in spite of Ronaldo’s sister's insinuations, it is not hard to see why Modric won. The Croation has been quietly, efficiently pulling the strings behind the big man every year with very little acclaim in the way of individual honors. In addition, one has to think that Modric's historic World Cup finally tipped the scales in his favor. He has now enjoyed more spotlight than ever after so many seasons of being the team’s metronome in the shadows.
Of course, it would not even perhaps count as a major football awards ceremony of the early 21st century if Cristiano Ronaldo were to walk away empty handed. Before you start sending your condolences, know that he did pick up the UEFA Forward of the Year honor and UEFA Goal of the Season.
Congratulations, @Cristiano: @ChampionsLeague Forward of the Season 2017/18.#UCLdraw #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/InGt8WV3Go
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) August 30, 2018
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