Posted by Juventus and Italy center back Giorgio Chiellini has hailed captain of Real Madrid Sergio Ramos. The Italian center back described Ramos as “the best defender in the world”.
The veteran center back in his autobiography claimed that Sergio Ramos’ takedown on Mohamed Salah in the 2018 Champions league final in Kiev was deliberate and calculated, he described it as a “masterstroke”.
Real Madrid captain Ramos grabbed Salah by the arm and hauled him to the ground in the early stages of the game in Kiev, the Egyptian who was Liverpool’s dangerous man couldn’t continue, he went off with a shoulder injury.
Real Madrid went on to defeat Liverpool 3-1 to win the trophy. After the game, the Spaniard was accused of deliberately injuring Salah, an accusation he refuted, insisting there’s no way he will intentionally harm another player.
However, veteran center back Chiellini thinks otherwise, the Italian international says Ramos knew what he was doing.
“They say he’s impulsive, not tactical at all, that 8-10 goals are conceded each season through his mistakes, that he’s very technical and that he could be a striker, which is the opposite of me,” Chiellini writes in his autobiography, per AS
“However, he has two characteristics that almost no-one else has. He knows how to be decisive in big games, with interventions that go beyond any logic, that even cause injuries with almost devilish wit.
“The one on Salah in the 2018 Champions League final was a masterstroke. He’s always said that he didn’t do it on purpose, knowing that nine times out of 10, falling like he did and by not letting go, he risked breaking his opponent’s arm.”
Chiellini went on to say that Ramos makes the players at Madrid better and without him Madrid is defenseless.
“The second is the force he transmits with his presence. Without him, stars like Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal and Marcelo seem like kids from the Primavera team. Without him, Madrid becomes defenceless.”
Chiellini also recalled Real Madrid’s shocking 4-1 defeat at home to Ajax back in 2019 in the Champions league. Ramos was suspended for the game after accumulating yellow cards. The veteran center believes Ramos’ absence was the downfall of Madrid on the day.
“After the first match, they gave him a two-game ban because he was honest: he said that in life you have to choose and had looked for a card to wipe his record before the quarter-finals,” the Italian wrote.
“With him at the Bernabéu, they can be sure that they would not have lost by a three-goal margin. I’d bet whatever you want.”