Let’s face it. Sergio Ramos was never considered a good guy. After all, he holds the La Liga record for the most red cards. And Jürgen Klopp is one to agree.
The former Liverpool manager had this to say about Ramos in reminiscing about the 2018 UEFA Champions League final.
If you recall, the Spanish central defender controversially took down key player Mohamad Salah in the first half. The collision injured the Egyptian’s shoulder, forcing him to leave the pitch prematurely. Ramos also clashed with Loris Karius, which left the Liverpool goalkeeper concussed and may have contributed to his two crucial errors during Real Madrid’s 3-1 win in the final.
“Is Mr. Sergio Ramos really a good guy? He is not my favorite player,” Klopp said in a recent episode of the Einfach mal Lupen podcast, hosted by German footballer Toni Kroos.
“The [Salah] action was brutal. Of course, he can’t know it’s going to hurt his shoulder, but we all know he accepted it very happily. I could never understand that mentality, I never had players like that and, when I did, I made sure they left.”
Kroos tried to defend his former teammate by calling him a “very good teammate.” The two won 15 trophies together at Real Madrid, including four Champions League titles and three La Liga trophies. Klopp, RB Leipzig’s new global director, disagreed.
“It’s hard for me to believe. He won’t be my favorite player, but it doesn’t matter,” added Klopp.
“I always thought my center-backs were good enough not to be involved in actions like that.”
