Sergio Ramos, the third time's a charm
Whether you stay at the Bernabéu or not, your image is deteriorating every day. The Madrid fans don't understand the conflicts every four years to renew your contract, the use of your journalist friends to leak interested information and, above all, that you don't value a great club and a great fan base (truly great) that has always treated you in an exemplary way in the good times, but also in the bad times, which, Sergio, you have also had.
The captain is the second highest earner in the squad, behind only Eden Hazard. Bale earns the same as the Belgian, but as he is on loan at Tottenham, the English side pay him part of his salary.
Different media report that the Real Madrid captain earns 14.5 million euros. The reality is that he earns 12 million euros plus goals.
The difference between Real Madrid's offer and what Ramos is demanding is 2,400,000 euros. The club agrees to renew him for two years, but reducing his salary by 10% for COVID reasons, as most of his colleagues are doing.
It is not the first time that the Madrid captain's renewal has been dragged out and turned into a media soap opera. In 2015 and 2019, the captain was very tense. Only in 2015 was he close to leaving.
His brother and agent, René Ramos, reached an agreement with Manchester United for a very high price. At the last moment, Florentino agreed to raise the offer a little and the Ramos brothers decided to stay in Madrid. In the English press there was talk of betrayal and of having used the English team to get Real Madrid to up their offer without having any intention of leaving the club. They alluded that they were determined to leave Real Madrid, as they felt undervalued.
Year 2019. Florentino in statements after the Chinese offer commented: "Sergio came to see me in my office and told me that he had a very important offer from China, but that they could not pay a transfer. I told him that this could not be".
The Ramos brothers intended to leave Real Madrid without the club receiving a transfer. Having a valid contract and on the basis of services rendered.
This "services rendered" and "what the captain has given to the team" are the arguments that some Real Madrid fans allude to in order for Florentino to give the Sevillian what he asks for every four years.
And I ask myself: Is it not enough for him to be one of the football players who earns the most in the world? Is it not enough for him to play in the best football team in the world? Is it not enough for him with the added value that this means in terms of commercial brands, advertising and other income? Is it not enough for him to have played with the best players in the world who have won four Champions League titles in five years? Or is it that only Ramos has won the Champions League?
The "Great Captain loves Real Madrid and wants to retire at the Bernabéu. He would play for free..."
The world is going through very complicated situations because of the pandemic and football has not been able to avoid the negative effects of the malignant coronavirus. Real Madrid's main rival in Spain, FC Barcelona, is in a very complicated economic situation. Precisely because the club has not managed its finances properly.
In addition, and this is something we all regret, the defender has had to undergo surgery on his knee.
The Ramos brothers, Sergio will be 35 on 30 March, believe that Real Madrid do not value his 16 seasons in the white shirt. They believe he continues to perform at the highest level and consider Florentino Pérez's offer to be an offence. What's more, they do not agree with some of their teammates' renewals because they think that they have not received a 10% discount from COVID.
For what they want, they compare themselves with their teammates, but to renew year after year like some of their teammates, they are not interested.
Great player, great captain on the pitch, but Sergio at the third time is no good. After the betrayal to United and the Chinese story of 2019 I think you will leave Real Madrid in June. I think that, to the adjectives of great player and great captain, we must unfortunately add great pessimist.
