Iker Casillas was Real Madrid’s official captain last season, but Sergio Ramos is the real leader of the team.
He was the hero as Madrid won their 10th European Cup after he scored the tying goal in extra time. But now, after reportedly falling out with club president Florentino Perez and with issues over his salary, should Ramos, at the age of 29, stay in Madrid? Absolutely.
The idea of him leaving Madrid started with rumours of a move to Barcelona and that has been followed by genuine interest from Manchester United, with a bid of more than £28 million (Dh162m) reportedly made on Monday.
The discontent from Ramos hinges on his desire to be paid more and, though he and Perez have dealt with this situation poorly, he should stay at Madrid.
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Madrid have always been a club full of superstars. From Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas to David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, the tradition of filling the squad with the biggest names of football grew under Perez, who first ran for the presidency in 1995.
Under Perez, the word “galacticos” emerged to describe this all-star team of attacking talent.
But the beating heart of the side over those years was still Spanish. Madrid have had great youth products, such as Raul, Iker Casillas and Guti.
Ramos is not home grown. He first played for Sevilla at 19 years old in 2004 and cost Madrid €30 million (Dh123m) in 2005.
Madrid are one of the few teams who possess three world-class centre-backs, but if Ramos departs the whole team dynamic might break up.
It will not just disrupt the centre-back position, but Madrid will lose his leadership and charisma. He is almost a complete defender. He is quick and makes clinical tackles. His aggressive style suits Madrid. He is adaptable and a threat from corners, as Atletico Madrid learnt in the 2014 Uefa Champions League final.
Although he has all those qualities, his main weakness is his temper and he has been booked 157 times and received 19 red cards in his Madrid career, but his passionate style of play also endears him to Madrid fans.
He is a stalwart and fights like a warrior for the sake of the team.
Ramos is reported to want to earn closer to the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, and Perez should pay up.
In the past three summers, Perez let Mesut Ozil leave, then Angel Di Maria and he sacked manager Carlo Ancelotti. These departures were not easy for Madrid fans to accept.
Keeping hold of Ramos is even more important.
Even though there are plenty of potential replacements on the market, such as Nicolas Otamendi from Valencia, that does not solve the main problem; what Madrid need is a player with leadership qualities, and Ramos has those in abundance.
malshamsi@thenational.ae
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