Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic has apologised to Cristiano Ronaldo for branding him an "egoist" after the Juventus star refused to attend the UEFA award ceremony in which his former teammate Luka Modric was named 2017/18 Men's Player of the Year.

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The Portuguese superstar, who was named the forward of the year after helping Real Madrid lift their third successive UEFA Champions League title last season, saw Keylor Navas, Sergio Ramos and Modric pick up trophies in their respective positions.

It was reported that Ronaldo stayed away from the ceremony after finding out he had been snubbed for the main prize, and on the night, Dalic was reported as saying "Ronaldo is an egoist and I'd never want him in my team", something he now regrets.

"I regret that," Dalic said, as quoted by FourFourTwo.

"It was part of my answer to the question why Ronaldo did not attend the UEFA ceremony and about negative comments on Luka getting the award, so I said it was selfish of Cristiano and I don't like such players.

"(It was) nothing personal or negative, maybe just presented wrong and I am sorry.

"For FIFA's The Best award, I voted for Modric and put Cristiano as number two.

"Luka deserves it because he was voted the best player at the Club World Cup, was world and European champion with Real, won a silver medal at the World Cup and the World Cup Golden Ball on top of that.

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"No other player won so much this year. Cristiano is one of the best players of all time, but this year Luka was better."

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