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,” said Ramos. ”I don’t want the fans to be left in any doubts.”
“I would extend my contract for the rest of my life,” he said. “The president and I have a very good relationship, like father and son, we’ve been together a long time.
“He makes the decisions. He’s 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. I’d even be ready to play for free.”
When asked about his bond with club president Florentino Perez, he added: “My relationship with the president is similar to that of a father and son.”
“Our relationship has always been very good but who doesn’t have an argument with their father every now and again? Maybe we should’ve spoken face to face instead of getting third parties involved but it is in the past.
“I came home to people saying I want to go but I have my contract here and I don’t want to leave.”
Perez refused to sanction a proposed a free transfer, claiming it would set a “bad precedent”, 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 winner’s honours include four LaLiga titles and he continues to hold a high degree of influence in the dressing room.
“We haven’t talked about my deal here for a minute,” he continued.
“We’ve just talked about how it’s reassuring to be here and have this great relationship with the club. There’s loyalty involved and we’ve 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 didn’t want me here it might have interested me, but I’ve never ever thought about going to China.
“The relationship maybe hasn’t been as good as in the past but it’s been sorted out. We had a private conversation about the offer that was made and there was speculation, but in two weeks’ time we have a wedding and I want to speak to Florentino there.
“I 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.”
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Katie has it all. Passion for the sport, amazing skill and loyalty to those who helped get her to the top. It’s admirable. You’re the best Katie!!!!
Don’t forget the God bothering.
Um, what? Pele, Maradona or even Zidane would like a word…. and Thierry Henri brought all that contempt upon his own head by demonstrably and publicly cheating, while wearing the colours of his nation, then treating such contempt as naïveté. Even French sports fans were unhappy with his conduct. It was disgraceful then, and remains disgraceful now. Why do you think his endorsements dried up? Now he will play out his career playing for New York. Sad.
shes religious, so what? people have a right to their beliefs as long as they dont force it on others, im not religious but i dont have the right to attack somebody elses religon or force my own views on them where theres no harm!
I should add that I am not against Katie talking about how god helped her, I think it’s great that she has such faith and it’s what gets her through. What I am against is people like mairead trolling this site and trying to force religion down peoples throats!
Oh and on a note actually related to this headline here’s hoping that Zaur stays with the Irish boxers because by all accounts they owe much of their success to him!
Agree 100% with that. I think mairead us just looking for a reaction to be honest
I would be worried about Katie Taylor turning professional, will she still have her dad at her side? & can she still wear the helmet? Or will she be beaten to a pulp? What protection is there in professional boxing?
ah will ye cop on….whatever she does she is a national hero…fair play to her,,,
That was a fair point Cian, where is the need to cop on with her comment? I agree Susan I’d worry that we’d run away with the wins so far, small timely dedicated steps needed to continue her success.
The only protective gear carried to pro boxing is the mouthpiece, as far as I know. But a big difference between the two levels is that while Am-boxing has one worldwide governing body, pro-boxing does not and the rules can therefore differ from organisation to organisation. As regards being beaten up, there is definitely a different emphasis on impact boxing in the pro level. In amatuer, points are given on technique and landing a hit – the actual force involved is irrelevant. At pro level, more points are awarded for the impact a blow has (eg, a knockout or knockdown), and the ref really only intervenes for actual fouls (not technique issues). A lot of boxers have a hard time of it when they first move up to pro.
@ryan… she is a boxer not a professional tiddlywinks player of course she will be hurt hence my comment to “cop on”
Monsieur Troll DuVal you speak for yourself & not France !
Bravo Katie :-)
Andrezj why exactly are you in Ireland if Poland is so great??
We should reward the coaches in boxing with good new contracts. We usually only reward failure on this country, why not reward success for a change.
Katie Taylor is a sporting hero and someone young people can look up too & aspire to be? Why do her religious beliefs have to come into it? That’s her business
She brings them into it. Every time she’s on camera she’s talking about god.. the magic man in the sky who miraculously gives her the adrenaline needed to throw her punches.. nothing at all to do with the spinach and carrots.
Every major nation in the world competes in boxing, what a misinformed stupid comment.
Ah Mairead give it a rest
Contact sports are not violent.
Come on Journal.ie! Why don’t you just block these stupid trolls?
Great tribute video montage to Katie Taylor. https://vimeo.com/47361394
Lots of people die in sports not just boxing.
Tell that to the thousands of brain-damaged amateur and professional boxers, or pray for those that died in the ring! Please don’t be ignorant.
Seriously mairead?! Jesus you’d put anybody off going to church!! Save the bible bashing for people who care. We’re all sick of your nonsensical rants at this stage!