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Modric: We made bets about Ronaldo

Modric, 32, admits the exits of Ronaldo and Zidane in the off-season took everyone associated to Real by surprise after their integral roles in the hattrick of UEFA Champions League titles.
"I didn't expect it for either of them [to leave]," Modric told France Football. "I didn't think Zidane was going to leave, same thing for Ronaldo.
"Actually, when the rumour about Cristiano came out, we made bets between us in the dressing room and we were convinced that he would stay in the end. But everyone makes their own choices in life."

On his chances of breaking the Ballon d'Or monopoly of the Portugal captain and FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, the Croatian playmaker refused to claim he 'deserves' the most coveted individual honour in European football.
"Truth be told, I don't like that way of talking and saying: 'Yes, it's me who deserves the Ballon d'Or'," he said. "The important thing for me is to be on the pitch as I have been for months now.
"This year, 2018, has undoubtedly been the best of my career and my only objective is to keep going on this path, on this trajectory. You're not going to get me to say: 'It's me who should win it.' That is up to the experts who vote. It's in their hands."

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