Modric beats Djokovic to win Balkan athlete of the year
Luka Modric has been named Balkan Athlete of the Year, becoming only the second footballer to scoop the prize after former Bulgaria star Hristo Stoichkov in 1994.
Ballon d’Or winner Modric won the Champions League and the Club World Cup with Real Madrid as well as being instrumental in helping Croatia reach the World Cup final in Russia. He is the first player in a decade to win Ballon d’Or after Messi and Ronaldo grabbing five each for continuous 10 years, Luka Modric was also awarded the tournament’s Golden Ball Award to mark his contribution as the best overall player at the world cup finals.
The 33-year-old Croatian, who received 75 points in the 46th poll, organized by Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), beat Serbia’s world No 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic, who topped the annual poll five times in a row between 2011 and 2015.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia was second in the Balkan poll, and the Women’s number one, Romania’s Simona Halep, was third. Simona Halep is at the no.1 spot for the second time in a row.
