Having extended Sergio Ramosa contract till 2020, Florentino Perez had one message for his new captain– a Ramos must keep being Ramosa . But as the Spaniard commits his future to Real Madrid, what exactly does it means to a be a Sergio Ramosa .
From scoring the equalising goal in the 93rd minute of the Champions League finale to holding the distinction for accumulating the highest number of red cards in the Spanish La Liga, Sergio Ramos cannot be defined in a few words. Let us look back at his most memorable (and shocking!) moments and decode the phenomenon that is Sergio Ramos.
Mr. La Decima
A favourite at Santiago Bernabeu, Sergio Ramos is synonymous with La Decima, a fact that was highlighted by Florentino Perez during the announcement of his contract renewal. The story of Sergio Ramos rescuing a hapless Real Madrid during the dying minutes of the Champions League final is one that will take its place in the cluba s folklore. Despite his penchant for getting into trouble with the referee, Sergio Ramos will go down in the history books for being the one that won Real Madrid its much awaited tenth Champions League trophy. The last player to do so was a certain Frenchman who met Roberto Carlosa misplaced cross with a perfect volley that earned the club its 9th Champions League trophy.
Sergio Ramos-Maverick or Misunderstood?
Along with his heroics in the Champions League, Sergio Ramos will also go down in the history books for being sent off the maximum number of times in the La Liga. The newly appointed Real Madrid captain has been shown the red card 19 times during his career and still has a few years to go before he retires from the Spanish la Liga.
His reputation for putting in ugly tackles is one that has been carefully cultivated over several seasons. 5-0 down at Camp Nou, this horrific challenge on Lionel Messi symbolizes the defender’s disciplinary record.
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Top-Scoring Active Defender in the La Liga
Along with his habit of picking up the odd disciplinary card on the pitch, Sergio Ramos is also known for his goal-scoring abilities. The Real Madrid defender holds the distinction of being the a top-scoring active defender in the La Ligaa . The defender has 42 goals to his name and looks likely to add to the tally after extending his contract at Santiago Bernabeu. Along with his 93rd minute goal in the Champions League finals, the defender will perhaps be best remembered for scoring two goals in the space of 4 minutes against Pep Guardiolaa s Bayern Munich, which effectively sealed the tie for Real Madrid.
Sergio Ramos scored 5 goals between 26th April, 2014 and 7th May, 2014, including a free-kick against Real Valladolid.
The One That Flew Away
A personal nightmare, Sergio Ramos faced a lot of ridicule for missing the penalty in the semi-final clash against Bayern Munich in 2012. The Spaniard wasna t the only Madrid player to miss from the spot. He had Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka for company.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he a skieda his penalty, making him the butt of several jokes on the internet. Manuel Neuer too contributed to the banter. Sergio Ramos however, exorcised this ghost as he scored a a panenkaa in Euro 2012 to help Spain beat Portugal.
A Man For All Seasons
Sergio Ramos has been notoriously influential against Barcelona. While some fixtures bring out the worst in him, as was the case against Lionel Messi in 2010, the Spaniard also has the ability to push himself in order to make a difference.
In March 2013, with the league title out of sight, Jose Mourinho fielded a weakened starting eleven which was led by Ramos. With the game tied at 1-1, it was Sergio Ramos who rose to meet Luka Modrica s cross as he scored the winner in the 82nd minute of the match to rescue Mourinho from a tight spot. The Spaniard was also involved in one of the most exciting El Clasico fixtures in recent years, after he was controversially sent off in the 63rd minute, a game that Real Madrid eventually went on to lose 3-4 (23rd March, 2014) despite controlling the proceedings until Ramos was given his marching orders.