A notable absence in the 30-man shortlist for the 2019 Ballon d’Or.
Real Madrid’s star midfielder Luka Modric has become the first-ever player to miss out on Ballon d’Or nomination only a year after winning the prestigious trophy.
France Football released a final list of 30 players who will fight it out among themselves to be crowned as the winner of Ballon d’Or 2019. Modric, however, couldn’t find a spot in the list because of a sub-par season on an individual level, along with a poor season for Real Madrid.
The governing body released a statement highlighting why the Croatian midfield general missed out on becoming a Ballon d’Or nominee. They stated that Madrid were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 by an incredible Ajax side and added that it was “a meeting that had highlighted the deficiencies of Luka Modric, who seemed overwhelmed by the passion and technique of the Dutch”.
Moreover, Los Blancos failure to win La Liga and a semifinal exit from Copa Del Rey at the hands of Barcelona were also cited as the reasons behind Modric’s omission, France Football’s statement claims.
The 34-year-old hasn’t had a great start to the 2019/20 season, which played a part in him becoming the first player to miss out on Ballon d’Or nomination only a year after winning the award. Along with Modric, Paris Saint-Germain ace Neymar was also not included in the list due to poor behavior and injuries.
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