IT’S LIKE A FUNERAL
Ramos quits briefing over questions on Lopetegui sacking
SERGIO RAMOS sensationally walked out of his final World Cup briefing – claiming he felt like he was “at a funeral”.
Spain’s captain called a halt to questions being fired at him ahead of today’s showdown with Portugal as the fall-out following
Julen Lopetegui’s sacking refused to go away.
Ramos and new head coach Fernando Hierro had been quizzed from the floor about Lopetegui’s exit – which was unsurprising given it was the pair’s first outing since the drama unfolded on Wednesday.
But the Real Madrid star – Liverpool’s public enemy No.1 since Mo Salah came off worse in a tussle during the Champions League final – was unhappy with the mood.
The defender was asked whether he had been upset about comments made about him following Real’s latest triumph.
He said: “I sleep well. I have an easy conscience. Some people tried to use certain arguments to become more popular, but I am who I am – and I rest easy. If anyone has any doubts about me, they can check my CV.
“On that note, I’m going to finish this press conference now. It feels like we are in a funeral – but we are actually at a World Cup, which is a wonderful event.”
Earlier, Ramos had sat with his arm around Hierro – the man who stepped in following Lopetegui’s shock exit.
He added: “We needed to move forward as soon as possible.
“Obviously, these have not been pleasant times. Julen was part of this effort. He helped us qualify. But I think the Spanish squad is more important than anything personal.
“As a captain, I had been more informed about what was going on. Especially when you have important situations like this.
“Other people make decisions. We prefer to stick to the sidelines on institutional issues. But we shouldn’t focus on this any more. We’re playing the European Champions – and the sooner we forget this, the better for us all. “I came into this competition with dreamy eyes. It’s my first as captain… carrying my country, my team… there are few things bigger than this.”
Ramos gave a nod in Lopetegui’s direction, claiming his former mentor will be part of anything Spain achieve.
And he also backed Hierro – a name familiar in England due to his time at Bolton. Ramos added: “There are few people more qualified than Fernando to cover Julen’s departure. We admired Fernando as a player – he is a perfect candidate to cover this post.”
Hierro also tried to claim it was business as usual. When the reality is that it is anything but.
He said: “We trust our lads. The last two weeks have been quite intense. We are not going to change much. We have a clear goal in mind.
“We’re keeping a lot of coaching staff from before. You are going to see a Spanish squad you are used to – one that likes to play beautifully.”
Lopetegui was unveiled as Real coach yesterday and admitted: “Yesterday was the saddest day of my life since the death of my mother, but today is the happiest.”