Name: Sergio Ramos
Born: March 30, 1986, in Camas, Spain
Position: Defender
Pro club: Real Madrid
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Why is he in the news?
Ramos has played a big part in Real Madrid reaching this Saturday’s Champions League final through his stellar and consistent play throughout the competition.
His best performance, though, came on April 29, 2013, when Real Madrid travelled to Germany to take on Bayern Munich in the second leg of the semifinals. Real entered the contest on the back of a 1-0 win in the opening leg, but most pundits and fans expected Bayern, the defending European champions, to flex their muscles and overturn the deficit.
Ramos had other ideas. He scored a pair of goals in the opening 20 minutes—both off clinical headers—to pave the way for Real to earn a convincing 4-0 win and advance to the final for the first time since 2002.
He’s special because
Simply put, Ramos is one of the most highly-rated defenders in the world. He combines energy and quickness with an ability to get forward and join the attack. Able to play both at centre and right back, Ramos is also a physical defender who isn’t shy about getting into confrontations on the pitch.
Club career
Ramos began his career at local side Sevilla, emerging through the club’s youth system where he played alongside Jesús Navas and Antonio Puerta. He made his first-team debut in February 2004, and the following season established himself as a regular starter for Los Rojiblancos.
Real Madrid took notice of him after his breakthrough campaign, and paid Sevilla a whopping £21 million transfer fee for his services. At 19, Ramos had the world at his feet and became noted for his versatility thanks to his ability to slot in at both centre and right back for Real. He played a prominent role in helping los blancos win back-to-back league title in 2007 and 2008, and has since become a key starter for Real Madrid.
International career
Ramos cut his international teeth with Spain’s youth sides and won a European championship in 2004 with the Spanish under-19 team. When made his debut for the senior team in 2005, he was the youngest Spain international since 1950 at the age of 18 years and 361 days (the record has subsequently been broken by Cesc Fabregas). He scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away win over San Marino in a 2006 World Cup qualifier.
Ramos was a regular starter for Spain at Euro 2008 as he helped La Roja win its first major international championship since 1964. He then sealed his status as one of the best defenders in the game at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa—Spain won the World Cup and Ramos, who started every game, was named the team of the tournament. More success followed at the Euro 2012 where again he was named to the team of the tournament as Spain raised the trophy for a second straight time. Currently, he has nine goals in 115 caps.
His most famous moment
Ramos has had many memorable moments on the pitch during his playing career.
But his most famous moment—or infamous in this case—came after Real Madrid defeated Barcelona in the 2011 Copa Del Rey final. In the subsequent victory parade through the streets of Madrid, Ramos dropped the trophy while hoisting it atop the team bus. The trophy fell under the wheels of the bus and was damaged.
Here’s an interesting fact
Ramos topped the Castrol Performance Index—a ranking system that evaluates player performances—with a score of 9.79 at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
He said it
“After having a great season in (La Liga), the team were not up to scratch and we’ve let the league slip away in a very bad way for us. … Now it is time to think about the Champions League final and look at our mistakes. Other seasons were amazing if we won the (Copa Del Rey), and we’ve won it this year. We’ve played our hearts out and tried to do the best we can. We shouldn’t view this season as a failure.”
What they’re saying about him
“He is a player with a great personality and was practically born here, given how much he knows about the club. His performances have been vital in some games, and his presence on the pitch is enormous. He also instills courage in the rest of the team. He is a very valuable player.” – Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach
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