Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is disappointed former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo didn't attend last night's Ballon d'Or gala.

Instead, the Juventus star was in Milan to collect the Serie A Player of the Year award.

But Modric said, "Football is about respect and when you don't win, out of respect you have to be here, because soccer is celebrated.

"That's why I'm here to celebrate football, to show respect because football is about that, very simple."

Modric was happy to present the award he won last year to Barcelona star Lionel Messi and said: "We are rivals, but not enemies. In football, things are often taken to an extreme and this initiative can help improve things. It happens in other sports and it seems good to me that this custom is installed in football."