Sergio Ramos is set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, as reported by Spanish outlet ABC. The player failed to reach an agreement with the club regarding an extension and will end his 16-year spell at the Bernabeu this summer.
Real Madrid maintain their policy of offering players over 30 an extension of one year at a time. And Ramos was no exception to the rule. However, the skipper was holding out for a guaranteed two-year contract. The centre-back was very vocal about his desire to retire at the club, and that seems impossible now that the contract talks have broken down.
According to the report by ABC, Madrid are organising a special farewell for their skipper. Florentino Perez wants their captain pictured with the 22 pieces of silverware that has helped the team earn. Of those, 11 are standalone titles while the other half is only Super Cups.
Ramos is also preparing to hold a press conference of his own on 1st July, following the expiry of his contract the day before. He will talk about his future, and address other questions on that day.
The problem with making an exception for Ramos would be that in principle. Other players in the future can refer to this instance and shift negotiations in their favour. Hence, this would ultimately backfire.
Madrid organising a farewell for their players is almost unheard of, since club legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas had to walk away without any farewell of any sort. But Madrid’s greatest ever skipper seems to be the exception to the norm.
