Sergio Ramos, the defender of Mexico’s Monterrey, has said that he does not want to play against his former club, Spain’s Real Madrid, in the Club World Cup football tournament. Ramos, now 39 years old, is a player who played for Real from 2005 to 2021 and brought many successes to the club. He also served as Real’s captain. The player, who spent the majority and most important days of his career at Real, said that having to play against Real would be challenging for him in many ways. “Playing against a former team and teammates is very different. It could also be beautiful. But in my view, it’s better not to do it. There will be an opportunity to avoid things that are difficult for me and the club,” Ramos said.
The chance for Monterrey and Real to meet is in the knockout stage of the tournament, as both teams are in different groups of the tournament. Ramos said that Real, who have won the tournament five times, are also the favorites of this tournament, which for the first time includes 32 teams. “Real Madrid are always favorites in these kinds of tournaments. It’s the same in this tournament. They are the team closest to winning the trophy. Whether it’s the players or the management, it’s a team that has had the spirit and mindset to win trophies for ages,” Ramos said.
From this tournament onwards, Real will be coached by Spain’s Xabi Alonso, a midfielder who played with him at Real. Ramos said that Alonso starting to coach Real is an interesting change. He added that it’s a big advantage that Alonso is a player who has achieved all successes at Real and knows the club very well.
