The Star Malaysia

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Real president Perez threatens to sack Ramos

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MADRID: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos had a fierce argument with club president Florentino Perez in the team’s dressing-room after the 4-1 home defeat by Ajax Amsterdam which knocked them out of the Champions League, Spanish media reported.

Newspapers AS, Marca, El Pais and

ABC reported the apparent face-off on their websites, saying Perez threatened to sack Ramos in front of the whole squad.

The reports added that the defender responded by saying he would be glad to leave Real, where he has played since 2005, providing he was paid the remainder of his contract.

Real and Ramos’ representa­tives did not immediatel­y respond to requests for comment.

According to AS, Perez told the squad he thought their display in the last 16, second-leg defeat, their joint-heaviest home loss in European competitio­n, was “shameful”, prompting an angry reaction from Ramos who missed the game due to suspension.

Perez said he would sack the defender, who, according to AS, replied by saying: “Pay me and I will leave, I have given everything and broken my back for this badge, this club and for you.”

The 5-3 aggregate loss to Ajax handed Real their earliest eliminatio­n from the Champions League since 2010 and ended their three-year domination of Europe’s elite competitio­n.

It also meant they have practicall­y nothing left to play for with three months remaining of the season, capping a humiliatin­g week in which they were knocked out of the Spanish King’s Cup by Barcelona and beaten by Barcelona in the league, falling 12 points behind their arch-rivals in the title race.

 ??  ?? Dissatisfi­ed: Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos gestures from the stands during the match Champions League against Ajax.
Dissatisfi­ed: Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos gestures from the stands during the match Champions League against Ajax.

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