Last night, Real Madrid announced that their captain, Sergio Ramos would be leaving the club at the end of the season. Imagining the Spanish centre-back in a shirt apart from that of Madrid and Spain is unimaginable, but that is what we will witness in 2021/22.
As a part of his farewell from the club, he was photographed with all the 22 trophies he captained the club to. Moreover, he also answered questions from the press.
About the big decision
“Many things have happened. The first thing I’d like to make clear is that I never wanted to leave Real Madrid. That was always my mindset. We won the post-lockdown league and then the club offered me the chance to offer my contract. But, that was delayed because of situations like the pandemic. The club then offered me a one-year extension with a salary reduction.
“I want to make clear that money was never the problem. It was the years, because I wanted stability for my family. I wanted two years and they offered one. I repeat, the economic factor was never the reason. In the later recent conversations, I said I would accept [the one-year offer], but then I was told the offer wasn’t there anymore, that there had been an expiry date. I hadn’t realised.”
The reason given by Madrid for the expiry
“That’s not a question I can answer,” he said when asked what explanation Real Madrid gave him for the expiry. “They never communicated to me that the offer had an expiry date. That really surprised me. I thought the offer, or proposal or chat, was on the table. Maybe I misunderstood it.”
Ramos also confirmed that he didn’t put pressure on Carlo Ancelotti to convince the club to re-sign him. On the Italian, Ramos said: “When Ancelotti returned, I called him to congratulate him. But, that’s all. There was no conversation about me.”
On what the President talked to him about
“There are some things very personal that I want to keep private. You have more questions than I do. There are some things that have been explained to me in private conversations. I have given a press conference, but the only ones here are myself, Emilio Butragueño and our press officer.”
“I don’t know what the president thinks about some of these things, so there are questions I can’t answer. My relationship with the president has always been extraordinary. Like a father and son, in a sporting sense. I’m grateful because he brought me here. I’m never going to speak out against him. I will remember the affection he showed me and our hug there in the farewell. Any misunderstanding is in the past. I’ll remember the good.”
About his future in football
“I have been able to talk to clubs from January, so there have been some clubs from clubs who were interested. But, the plan was never to leave Real Madrid, meaning I haven’t thought much about this yet. Now I will. Sevilla is a club of my heart, but I’m not considering that option and I don’t think Sevilla are considering that either. Barcelona is a clear ‘no’ too. I don’t know if I’ll ever play in the Spanish league again. These are situations I’ve not considered yet.”
“I’d have liked to have left with an event the Bernabéu. But well done to the club and president for putting this together, with the trophies and my family.”
As he reached the end of his press conference, he broke into tears again as he spoke about his parents and reflected on the 16 years as a whole. “I’m proud to have arrived with my family and to leave with my family.”
Ramos has clearly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the history of football, and became one of the most decorated captains in the history of the sport with Real Madrid. The legendary player will now set out for a new challenge, potentially abroad if his prediction about his own future is true.
