MONACO, August 31, 2018 (News Wires) - Mohamed Salah insisted he is ‘proud' to represent Egyptians at the highest level in football after missing out on UEFA's Player of the Year to Luka Modric. Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric pipped Salah to the prize with the Liverpool star in attendance at the Champions League group stage draw on Thursday night. Salah sat in front of Sergio Ramos, whose tackle on the forward in the Champions League final wrecked Liverpool's chance of winning the trophy and forced Salah into a race against time to be fit for the World Cup. The Liverpool star enjoyed a record-breaking season in England and spoke of his pride to be the first Egyptian nominated for the UEFA award. ‘When you do something for the first time, nobody has done it as an Egyptian before, something great, it's something I have to be proud of,' Salah said. ‘There are 100 million Egyptians who see me as a role model. ‘That's something I have to be very proud of. ‘Sometimes you feel pressure because of that, but it also makes you work harder to do your job better and better and better.' Football fans watched closely the interaction between Ramos and Salah and the internet went into meltdown when the defender touched his rival's shoulder when retaking his seat. Ramos accepted the award of the Defender of the Year and acknowledged Salah as he returned to his seat, but was quite noticably given the cold shoulder. Salah shone in his debut campaign at Anfield last season as the Reds reached the Champions League final, only to be beaten by Real Madrid. The former Roma and Chelsea winger bagged 44 goals in all competitions including 11 in the European competition. Despite those impressive feats, the 26-year-old missed out on any of the 2018 UEFA awards with new Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid's Luka Modric named Forward of the Year and Player of the Year respectively. But it's not awards, or indeed even trophies, that keep Salah on the ball after his record-breaking season last time out. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is furious that UEFA only recognised him as the best forward in Europe, who scored the best goal of the season. In the long history of Cristiano Ronaldo's petty behaviours, we may have reached a glorious peak. Let this story sink in, savour every word. The UEFA awards took place around the Champions League draw yesterday and Ronaldo had given every indication he would attend. He had a place set for him in the arena and his personal photographer was even in attendance. But when the lights came up, there was no Ronaldo to be seen. He was conspicuous in his absence when he was named winner of the awards for the Forward of the Season and Goal of the Season and wasn't there to collect the trophies. Former colleagues at Real Madrid were said to be surprised he was nowhere in sight. So what was eating Cristiano Ronaldo? Well, simply the fact that he had seemingly learned it would be Luka Modric who would be awarded with the Champions League Player of the Season. Marca describes it as 'the strange case of a frightened Cristiano Ronaldo'. And in Portuguese paper Record, agent Jorge Mendes confirmed Ronaldo's disappointment. Juventus director Beppe Marotta weighed in on the matter too. He has learned quickly that when you have Ronaldo at your club, you have to worship the turf he walks on. "I can say it was a personal decision not to come and he made it earlier today," Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
