The Spanish footballing legend Sergio Ramos has confirmed his retirement from international football today after being told that he is not part of new Spain coach Luis De La Fuente’s plan.
Ramos made his debut with his country back in 2005 and since then he has made an astronomical amount of 180 appearances and this has made him Spain’s most-capped player of all time. He announced his retirement today through the medium of social media and penned down an emotional note.
An End of An Era for Spanish legend Sergio Ramos
The Spaniard was at the heart of his country’s defence when La Roja won three international tournaments in a row back in 2008 to 2012 which includes the likes of two European Championships and the famous FIFA World Cup in 2010.
He represented his nation in seven major tournaments but was left out of the squad by previous manager Luis Enrique in the Euros 2021 and the recent World Cup in Qatar. His last appearance as a Spanish player came on 31st March when he played only 4 minutes against Kosovo.
This decision indeed brings an end to a sensational career and for Spain he has formalised himself as the 9th highest scorer despite being a defender, having scored 23 times.
In his announcement, he said, ”The time has come. Time for me to say goodbye to the Spain national team. To La Roja. This morning, I received a call from the current Head Coach who informed me that I am not and will not be part of his plans, regardless of how I perform or what I do in my career.
“With a heavy heart, it’s the end of a road that I hoped would stretch out further and which would end with a better taste in my mouth, on a par with all the success we achieved with La Roja. I honestly believe that this journey deserved to end at my own choosing or because my performances were not at a level worthy of our national team.”
Ramos pens heartfelt note
In his note, he also mentioned players who he admires. The defender mentioned about Luka Modric, Lionel Messi and Pepe.
”Not due to a question of age or other reasons that, although I have not heard them directly, I have certainly felt. Because age in itself is not a virtue or a defect; it’s just a number that is not necessarily related to performance or ability. I admire and envy players like Modric, Messi and Pepe.
“They are the essence of tradition, values, meritocracy and justice in football. Unfortunately, it won’t be like that for me because football isn’t always fair and football is never just football. This is something I have to accept, albeit with this sadness I share with you but also with my head held high, and thankful for all these years and for your support.
“I come away with unforgettable memories, all the titles we’ve fought for and celebrated together and the tremendous pride I feel as the most capped Spanish international of all time. This badge, this shirt and these fans, all of you, have made me happy. I’ll continue to support my country with the passion of someone lucky enough to proudly represent it 180 times. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who believed in me!”
