Cristiano Ronaldo took the decision to stay away from the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco for the Champions League group stage draw on Thursday, where the winner of the 2017-18 Player of the Year contest was also to be announced.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, where Ronaldo was announced as UEFA's best forward, the Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta confirmed that it was a late, personal decision from his new superstar striker and one that the club respected.
It has since been speculated that Ronaldo avoided it because he was not going to win the main award.