UEFA Euro 2016: Luka Modric's 'secret' message stopped Sergio Ramos' penalty

Ivan Perisic helped Croatia top Group D with 7 points on 21 June, after the team pipped Spain 2-1. Spain now lags behind with 6 points.

Spain was awarded a penalty in the 72nd minute, a chance that could have put Spain forward in the game. Sergio Ramos stepped up to take the penalty, but his Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric denied him the chance.

Goal.com reported that Modric passed on a secret message to Croatia captain Darijo Srna in order to prevent Ramos from scoring his penalty. After receiving the message, Srna ran across to his goalkeeper Danijel Subasic and gave him the details of Ramos' penalty.

Ramos' missed penalty proved costly. Spain will face Italy in the last 16 and in all probability, will have to defeat Germany in the quarter-finals to have any chance of reaching the last four.