The player who won the tenth has been accused of being a rapper by the pro-Florentino Perez press, and Manchester United will be hoping to capitalise on it.
From ‘Sergio Ramos has to pass now’ to ‘Respect the badge!’, two front-page headlines in Spain have helped ease the tension between Ramos and Real Madrid and bring the defender closer to Manchester United. The courtship between the Real Madrid vice-captain and the president, Florentino Pérez, is not new but, with the headlines on the front page on Monday morning, it has resurfaced, making it difficult to get closer. United would possibly feel that their hand has strengthened.
Ramos still has two years left on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it is rare that such a delayed renewal is allowed and negotiations have been stalled for some time, while the courtship between the president and the player has turned bitter and acrimonious and suspicious to each other. Ten years after joining the club, Ramos is ready to leave. The Guardian reported United’s interest on Sunday afternoon and Spanish sports daily AS followed up with the headline: “Sergio Ramos needs to leave now” on Monday morning.
On the other hand, pointing out that this is a war that will most likely take place in public, thus widening the gap between the player and the president, the sports supplement of the newspaper La Razón opened with a front page Photo of Ramos celebrating a goal, putting his hand to his heart, where the Madrid crest adorns the shirt. It comes with a headline that demands, “Respect the shield!”
Ramos has been at Real Madrid for 10 years and scored the goal that gave them the Décima, their tenth European Cup. He is the club’s vice-captain and has played more than 400 games. Jose Mourinho was also among the players who fought and publicly defended Carlo Ancelotti. Perez did not appreciate this and did not welcome Ramos’ demands during contract negotiations. Ramos earns between €6 million and €7 million a year after taxes; 12 million less than Cristiano Ronaldo and less than Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Iker Casillas. Perez also doesn’t accept it as true with players who collect power.
Ramos believes Madrid have continually criticised him in an attempt to damage his reputation and that of the fans, portraying him as a money thief who is not interested in the club. This sentiment, which has been developing in recent weeks, has reached its peak and is reflected in this morning’s headline in La Razón, a newspaper incredibly close to Pérez.
In a competitive editorial, Ramos and his agent are accused of a lack of commitment through Josep Pedrerol, who also hosts a TV show critical of the president’s defender and champion, while his rivals from Cuatro line up on the other side. [Ramos] will go down in history as the man who scored the goal of the tenth,” reads the editorial in La Razón. “But he can also be remembered as the footballer who, being an idol at the [Bernabeu], was sold at auction to clubs all over Europe for a few euros. ” The suggestion that he might not respect the shield is the most serious accusation that can be made against him.
Last week, Barcelona’s presidential candidate Jordi Majo said he had been introduced to Ramos, but admitted he had not spoken to the player or even his agent, who insisted the story was categorically false.
AS, which has long criticised Perez and Ramos defender and goalkeeper Casillas, hinted this morning that Ramos was upset that Madrid had not debunked the story, while other rumours have been debunked and other players have been protected.
Naturally, some enthusiasts concluded that Ramos had presented himself against Madrid’s biggest rival and that, according to the player’s camp, that is precisely the problem: Madrid not only did not deny the story, but were behind it. There may be no better way to damage their prestige and justify a conceivable sale that might otherwise prove unpopular with enthusiasts than to leak this rumor. This is a tactic that has been used before. It also expresses Madrid’s anger at what they see. such as Ramos’ way of negotiating and his refusal to settle for his first contract renewal offer.
Although they have not yet said anything publicly (and neither has Ramos), Madrid’s position remains that any interested club would have to pay the full release clause, which is 180 million euros, i. e. the player is not for sale. He also didn’t get an offer to be, the line continues. In the meantime, the stance of third parties continues.
“Encouraging Barcelona’s interest seems like a joke in very bad taste,” La Razón concluded. Ramos would probably agree, though insisting that he is not guilty of it. The lack of acceptance is extreme. It’s already become nasty; It may end up getting meaner. United will be hoping to finish with their man’s recovery.