Ramos suggests divisions within camp

Andy West 00:13 22/12/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • The Real Madrid spoke after the 10-2 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano.

    Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has hinted at divisions within the camp by muttering a series of ambiguous comments about the club’s hierarchy.

    Ramos was reacting to his team’s bizarre 10-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, which saw Bernabeu fans whistle their discontent with the home fans and manager Rafael Benitez after Rayo took a shock and short-lived early lead.

    – Phil Ball: Fan unrest at Madrid, Barcelona dominant
    – SILVA: Big interview with Manchester City star
    – Barcelona: Messi and Suarez wrap-up Club World Cup win
    – Guardiola: Where next for Pep?
    – SHARE, RATE, WIN: Sport360 ValoraFutbol 

    The game came at the end of a week in which president Florentino Perez restated his belief that under-fire Benitez is the solution to the problems encountered by the team throughout 2015.

    In doing so, Perez also appeared to be hinting that previous manager Carlo Ancelotti, whose summer sacking was strongly opposed by many senior members of the squad, was chiefly responsible for allowing the team’s struggles to fester during the latter stages of last season.

    Asked for his opinion on those provocative statements by the club president, Ramos only offered lukewarm backing to Perez as he said: “If that’s what the president says, he must have his reasons.

    “He is the king here, and we [players] are all just pawns.”

    Ramos was similarly ambivalent about the job being done by Benitez, who has been repeatedly accused of failing to establish mutually respectful relationships with his players or communicating a clearly understood gameplan.

    Although he claimed to back Benitez, Ramos’s comments were certainly left open to interpretation as he said: “We all support the manager. He tries to bring his own ideas and we try to execute them. 

    “Every player tries to do it in his own way. It doesn’t always come off, but the least you have to do is give it your all and leave everything on the pitch.”

    Notably, Ramos was a lot more effusive about ex-boss Ancelotti, who has been announced as Pep Guardiola’s successor at Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

    The experienced central defender made no attempt to hide his affection for the Italian coach, gushing: “I’m very happy because he’s a good friend, a great manager and he deserves to be at a big team.

    “If that can’t be here, Bayern Munich are also a great team.”

    Comparisons between Los Blancos and their eternal rivals Barcelona are inevitable, especially at a time when the Catalan club have just earned their fifth title of the year, claiming the Club World Cup trophy which was last won by Madrid this time last year.

    But Ramos issued a warning to the Nou Camp club that fortunes can always change again very quickly, noting: “In football one day you’re a god and the next you’re nothing.

    “We were champions of the world but that doesn’t guarantee progress. You can’t live in the past.”

    Recommended