Editor’s note: The opinions in this article are the author’s, as published by our content partner, and do not represent the views of gractomblogTetchy, sneaky and not afraid to employ football's dark arts, Ramos is an easy man to loathe - but any fan would all love to see him on their team
He is the villain of the piece, the man everybody loves to hate. If the football world were a pantomime, Sergio Ramos would enter the pitch swathed in a black cape and mask, basking in the boos and whistles of his incensed audience. But the Real Madrid defender seems to revel in his 'bad boy' persona – and it is exactly that attitude that has made him such a favourite at Santiago Bernabeu.
Ramos was in the headlines once more on Saturday as he ensured Liverpool's hero Mohamed Salah would not make any more impact on the Champions League final than he absolutely had to . Salah was the focal point of Liverpool's bright start in Kiev, cutting in off the right flank and giving the
Madrid defence more than a few headaches. And the way he was dealt with was classic Ramos.
Discussing the legality or malicious intent of the armlock the Spain international applied on his opponent is a futile exercise. It is the type of clash that occurs countless times in every football match on the planet, shorn of any clearly illicit contact that would have made punishing the defender simple for referee Milorad Mazic.
The only certainties in the matter were the unfortunate consequences for Salah: a damaged shoulder, early, tearful withdrawal and a World Cup in jeopardy. And for Madrid: a demoralised opponent and, inevitably, a third straight Champions League trophy. Ramos' actions may not have won him a lot of friends in Liverpool or Egypt, but you cannot argue they are not effective.
Former France international Christophe Dugarry summed up the contradiction days after the final. “Ramos is an absolute genius!” he enthused on RMC Sport, responding to fellow ex-Bleu Franck Leboeuf who had asserted the defender's actions were “tiresome”.
“He is one of those defenders who help you win titles, who make you come out on top. Okay, he is a cheat, he is dirty. But you cannot argue with his results!” Let his detractors plea for punishment through online petitions or file billion-dollar lawsuits : Madrid's enforcer could not care less.
Ramos' rap sheet is indeed a lengthy one. Aside from tangling with Salah, the centre-back also felled Loris Karius with a nasty elbow to the eye in Kiev minutes before the goalkeeper lost his entire head and gifted Karim Benzema the opener. His armlock on Salah had journalists scouring the archives for previous misdemeanours: sure enough, they found an almost-identical trick played on Dani Alves (admittedly, no shrinking violent himself) in the 2016-17 final.
Ramos was in the headlines once more on Saturday as he ensured Liverpool's hero Mohamed Salah would not make any more impact on the Champions League final than he absolutely had to . Salah was the focal point of Liverpool's bright start in Kiev, cutting in off the right flank and giving the
Madrid defence more than a few headaches. And the way he was dealt with was classic Ramos.
Discussing the legality or malicious intent of the armlock the Spain international applied on his opponent is a futile exercise. It is the type of clash that occurs countless times in every football match on the planet, shorn of any clearly illicit contact that would have made punishing the defender simple for referee Milorad Mazic.
The only certainties in the matter were the unfortunate consequences for Salah: a damaged shoulder, early, tearful withdrawal and a World Cup in jeopardy. And for Madrid: a demoralised opponent and, inevitably, a third straight Champions League trophy. Ramos' actions may not have won him a lot of friends in Liverpool or Egypt, but you cannot argue they are not effective.
Former France international Christophe Dugarry summed up the contradiction days after the final. “Ramos is an absolute genius!” he enthused on RMC Sport, responding to fellow ex-Bleu Franck Leboeuf who had asserted the defender's actions were “tiresome”.
“He is one of those defenders who help you win titles, who make you come out on top. Okay, he is a cheat, he is dirty. But you cannot argue with his results!” Let his detractors plea for punishment through online petitions or file billion-dollar lawsuits : Madrid's enforcer could not care less.
Ramos' rap sheet is indeed a lengthy one. Aside from tangling with Salah, the centre-back also felled Loris Karius with a nasty elbow to the eye in Kiev minutes before the goalkeeper lost his entire head and gifted Karim Benzema the opener. His armlock on Salah had journalists scouring the archives for previous misdemeanours: sure enough, they found an almost-identical trick played on Dani Alves (admittedly, no shrinking violent himself) in the 2016-17 final.
Ramos was in the headlines once more on Saturday as he ensured Liverpool's hero Mohamed Salah would not make any more impact on the Champions League final than he absolutely had to . Salah was the focal point of Liverpool's bright start in Kiev, cutting in off the right flank and giving the
Madrid defence more than a few headaches. And the way he was dealt with was classic Ramos.
Discussing the legality or malicious intent of the armlock the Spain international applied on his opponent is a futile exercise. It is the type of clash that occurs countless times in every football match on the planet, shorn of any clearly illicit contact that would have made punishing the defender simple for referee Milorad Mazic.
The only certainties in the matter were the unfortunate consequences for Salah: a damaged shoulder, early, tearful withdrawal and a World Cup in jeopardy. And for Madrid: a demoralised opponent and, inevitably, a third straight Champions League trophy. Ramos' actions may not have won him a lot of friends in Liverpool or Egypt, but you cannot argue they are not effective.
Former France international Christophe Dugarry summed up the contradiction days after the final. “Ramos is an absolute genius!” he enthused on RMC Sport, responding to fellow ex-Bleu Franck Leboeuf who had asserted the defender's actions were “tiresome”.
“He is one of those defenders who help you win titles, who make you come out on top. Okay, he is a cheat, he is dirty. But you cannot argue with his results!” Let his detractors plea for punishment through online petitions or file billion-dollar lawsuits : Madrid's enforcer could not care less.
Ramos' rap sheet is indeed a lengthy one. Aside from tangling with Salah, the centre-back also felled Loris Karius with a nasty elbow to the eye in Kiev minutes before the goalkeeper lost his entire head and gifted Karim Benzema the opener. His armlock on Salah had journalists scouring the archives for previous misdemeanours: sure enough, they found an almost-identical trick played on Dani Alves (admittedly, no shrinking violent himself) in the 2016-17 final.
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