Just over a year ago, it was revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo blanked Dani Alves at the glitzy 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Zurich.

It was reported that Ronaldo deliberately swerved Alves following ‘critical comments’ made by the right-back in 2015.

Alves had told reporters, per the Daily Mail, that Ronaldo - who was going through a bit of a difficult spell - was a victim of his own success.

“I still think he is displaying a lot of quality. But that's the problem when you are... how can I say it without offending... when you are too much the protagonist this happens,” the Brazilian commented.

“When you are the main protagonist there are two things that occur - when the team wins they always talk about you and they always put you ahead of the rest, and when you lose you will take the blame.

“When the team doesn't play well it's your fault, when they don't win it's your fault, everything is your fault. But these people must be used to that.

“We have enough to worry about with what we are doing to think too much about Ronaldo or if he is no longer the player he was.”

Alves doesn't blame Ronaldo for snubbing him

It seemed harsh that Ronaldo wouldn’t at least acknowledge Alves during the ceremony; you’d have thought the Portuguese superstar, after everything he's experienced during his illustrious career, might have thicker skin.

But Alves, who left Barcelona for Juventus last summer, doesn’t blame Ronaldo for snubbing him.

He blames the press...

Instead, the 33-year-old believes the press are to blame for twisting his words and portraying them in a negative light.

“All my fights with Cristiano were because of the press,” he told ABC, via 101 Great Goals, in a wide-ranging interview which was published on Monday. “If people only knew how much I respect Cristiano Ronaldo. I will repeat it to make myself clear: I respect Cristiano Ronaldo.

“When I spoke about him being too selfish, when you win you are going to be the star but when you lose they will go for you, so I said it in a very respectful way.

“And I think the same of [Lionel] Messi or Neymar. But my thoughts were not negative. What happens is that the press portrayed them differently, saying that I had spoken ill of him.

“And Ronaldo believed it. That’s why he did not greet me at the Ballon d’Or gala in 2015. I do not need to talk about anyone to go out in the newspapers. I have no ego.”

Alves then said Neymar deserved more votes than Ronaldo

However, Alves presumably wiped himself off Cristiano Christmas card list for good by suggesting after the ceremony that Neymar should have finished above Real Madrid’s No. 7 in the voting for the 2015 Ballon d’Or award.

"Neymar has gone through an incredible evolution and he's a better player every day," Alves told reporters, per ESPN. "It surprised me that he did not finish second, but they cry when I say these things and speak my mind.

"When Leo stops winning it, it'll be Neymar. He'll keep competing for the award, he wants it and will work to win it."