Real Madrid midfielder and Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric has hit out at Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone for ‘disparaging’ him and his teammates.

The Atletico boss remarked that his own charge, Antoine Griezmann, would never win the Ballon d’Or because he plays for Atletico, suggesting that Real players benefit from favouritism at the awards ceremony.

But Modric was not happy with Simeone’s comments.

“I understand why Simeone has defended his own players,” Modric told Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti, as cited by Diario AS.

“I understand why he believes Griezmann was the best but in doing so he feels the need to disparage Real Madrid and the players here.

“There are suggestions that there is something else behind why Madrid players win these trophies, and that is not the case.

“I have a lot of respect for Atletico and Simeone, their players and their fans – they are a great club and whey they defeat us, I acknowledge it and congratulate them.

“But we have been hugely successful too, we have beaten them in two finals and it is not fair to say these achievements are due to favouritism.”