REAL MADRID CAPTAIN Sergio Ramos has announced he is staying with the club next season, stating his dream is to retire at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, the 33-year-old centre-back has committed his future to Los Blancos after a wave of speculation linking him with a summer move away from the Spanish capital.
I am Madridista. I want to retire here,โ said Ramos. โI donโt want the fans to be left in any doubts.โ
โI would extend my contract for the rest of my life,โ he said. โThe president and I have a very good relationship, like father and son, weโve been together a long time.
โHe makes the decisions. Heโs always counted me in his decisions and I am happy to be part of the squad under him.
Not at all do I want to leave, my dream is to retire here and I always said that. The president will tell you that too, I would never go. Iโd even be ready to play for free.โ
When asked about his bond with club president Florentino Perez, he added: โMy relationship with the president is similar to that of a father and son.โ
โOur relationship has always been very good but who doesnโt have an argument with their father every now and again? Maybe we shouldโve spoken face to face instead of getting third parties involved but it is in the past.
โI came home to people saying I want to go but I have my contract here and I donโt want to leave.โ
Perez refused to sanction a proposed a free transfer, claiming it would set a โbad precedentโ, and the four-time Champions League winner is content to focus on a 15th season with the club.
Ramos has enjoyed a highly successful career since arriving in the Spanish capital from Sevilla in 2005.
The World Cup winnerโs honours include four LaLiga titles and he continues to hold a high degree of influence in the dressing room.
โWe havenโt talked about my deal here for a minute,โ he continued.
โWeโve just talked about how itโs reassuring to be here and have this great relationship with the club. Thereโs loyalty involved and weโve spoken face to face to sort out all the rumours that had been said about the situation.
The offer was there but it never tempted me. If the fans or the club didnโt want me here it might have interested me, but Iโve never ever thought about going to China.
โThe relationship maybe hasnโt been as good as in the past but itโs been sorted out. We had a private conversation about the offer that was made and there was speculation, but in two weeksโ time we have a wedding and I want to speak to Florentino there.
โI speak to him like a father and I want to continue like that, continue my future together with the club, and I want to leave successful and triumphantly.โ
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
Ah lads look at the caption on the photo.. โtries to get a better viewโ, he fell on his hole!
Kilgarve and Clancy should be disciplined, but all in Connacht know that wont happen. Disgraceful officiating which the Irfu will stand over
Nothing to do with TMO. He is second to the ref and can only answer the question he is asked.
Maybeโฆ..but we all know the question was incorrect! Diliberate? Iโm fairly sure what I think having witnessed Clancy in the past
Thatโs the 2nd try in an inter pro that went against Connacht by ridiculous refereeing decisions. Why always Connacht!! Wat do we have to do to get a break with the refs
Clancy is a terrible ref, but lam blaming him for the loss is pathetic. Leinster were the better side for 80 minutes, and how Connacht didnโt have at least 2 yellow cards inside 15 minutes is a mystery.
I dont see anyone blaming him for the loss Brian. Perhaps you can point that out? As Connacht fans we are sick and tired of big call after big call going against this team. Its gone beyond farcical. Apart from the try Clancy completely refused to ref the scrum. Connacht killed Leinster on 5 different occasions (3 in kickable positions). Leinster were pushed back and lost their shape completely but he waited and waited until Redden could manage to get his hands on the ball.
Agree Connacht were lucky not to get a yellow in first 15 mins but thats par for the course with most refs. You dont see teams getting the bin until they have been warned a number of times. Especially in the first 20 mins.
I have never seen a referee give a try before that nobody saw grounded (apart from penalty tries).
Brian go home, youโre drunk.
Although that was the wrong call Connacht were never going to win this by giving away 18 penalties and being unable to hold onto ball.
That ref was the worst I ever seen. He gave every little decision to home team. He was shocking and a disgrace and again a wee team come to Dublin and get that. Shame shame on you ref and hope the next time you slip you DONT get up. Shambles. Come on ulster.
Did โevery little decisionโ include not sending any Connacht to the bin in the first 15 minutes despite 5 penalties conceded in your 22?
Leinster were the better team and deserved to win. I really hope Connacht press on for the rest of the season, but the constant bitching about referees every time you lose is tiresome.
Leinster got all the decisions also at thomond park! Different ref same story !
What about constant breakdown penalties not given against leinster? In off feet in from the side and plenty of pushing beyond the ruck which Iโm fairly sure isnโt legal.. went on the whole match too
Why is every Connacht loss is greeted by whinging about referees.
โIโm fairly sure isnโt legalโ. You are blaming the ref and admitting you donโt know the rules in the same sentence!
Eh hello, what about McCarthy in the same fifteen minutes preventing Connacht players entering ruck from an offside position repeatedly. The Kearney knock on he waved as knock backward then changed his mind, or the scrum it came from where Leinster scrum splintered but no penalty? Nope he did not Ref both sides equally, but the try decision at that stage of the game was criminal for a guy already named for a 6N game. Bet the Welsh and Scots are looking forward to his stewardship of their game, and being talked down to by Georgeโฆ!
Reality is connacht scored 0 you donโt win games from that and before you downvote Iโm a Connacht fan
Regardless of the try leinster were the superior team and fully deserved the win.
Ah lads, probably should have been a yellow in the first 20 minutes for Connacht. Leinster probably deserved it despite trying to lose the game at a few points.
Typical! Gotta make sure Connacht donโt knock one of precious provinces or regions out of the champion cup! Itโs a conspiracy! Shenanigans!
Eh Spodgy it was Pro12 league game not European cup
As a Leinster fan I have to say a lot of questionable calls went our way, including the Try. Clancy shouldnโt have asked โis there any reason why I canโt award the Tryโ. Try or no Try should have been the question and we couldnโt see the ball being grounded. But Iโll take it.
Only one team tried to play rugby and do you lot not get tired of blaming refโs tmoโs the irfu or anyone else when you lose
Yes, we do. We really, really, REALLY are sick of watching game after game being affected by massive, often incorrect, often bizarre ref decisions. That being said as many have said from Connacht, Leinster deserved the win. . . but surely you would be aggrieved too, if 90% of your teamโs games involve scenarios like the above, which are almost always externally universally empathised with. If I am being honest, the try decision today barely registered for me on the richter scale of nonsense compared to what Iโve witnessed regarding poor officiating in Connacht games.
Typical clowns on hear siding with with ref. Fact is he leans towards Leinster every time and all who think he does not should cop on. Fact is your team are toothless and and you Irish reps showed that in World Cup. Such a shower of cowards you lenister are and how you proved that in champions cup. Leo Cullen should wise up and leave these sissies and yellow necks to themselves. Rotten cowards fact,
Are you talking about the players who, making up the bulk of the national team, have won back to back six nations for their country โ have been consistently the top northern hemisphere side for the past 3 years and are above you in the domestic league? Get a grip and stop whinging. 95% of rugby followers in the country have been delighted with connachts performances over the last 2 seasons โ but bitching and moaning is a sure fire at to reverse that.
Cry me a river
@ rogue ref, the only coward around here (not hear) is you hiding behind anonymous profile spouting rubbish about our national team. Back to back 6N champions, topped our group in RWC but fell to a much improved Argentina side when missing key players. Shame on you fool
Rouge those same Leinster players who won HCโs and as such allowed conaught to play their biggest games in their history on these Leinster players coatails. Come back when you qualify for the big competition on your own merits.
It might take a while