It’s a done deal. Sergio Ramos really left Real Madrid in summer of 2021, despite all the ʀᴜᴍᴏʀs.
The club’s longest-serving player, who was brought in from Sevilla as a 19-year-old in 2015, is leaving for greener pastures after failing to reach a contract extension with the organization.
During his 16 turbulent years at the Bernabeu, which were not without controversy, Ramos won 22 trophies. Sportsmail highlights Ramos’ best and worst moments while wearing a Real Madrid jersey as the Spaniard prepares for a new journey.
The legendary 35-year-old defender won four Champions League titles, including three while serving as captain.
5) 2016 UEFA Super Cup – Last-minute header vs Sevilla
Ramos’ header in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup final summed up his influence on Real Madrid over the years, even though it isn’t his most well-known ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ-time goal (more on that later).
In a ᴛʜʀɪʟʟɪɴɢ comeback in Trondheim against his former club Sevilla, Ramos leapt highest to head the equalizer.
Ramos lifted the Super Cup for the first time as captain, adding another trophy to the trophy case. Real went on to win 3-2, thanks to Dani Carvajal’s goal in overtime.
In the 2016 UEFA Super Cup, the center back celebrates his last-second header against Sevilla.
4) First LaLiga title, 2006-07
Despite Ramos’ success, things weren’t always easy, especially during his first eight years at the club.
Real frequently came in second place during a period of Barcelona-led dominance. Ramos was one of the first names on the team sheet for the club’s first trophy, the 2006–07 LaLiga victory on the final day of the season, along with many other Galacticos.
More than any other outfield player in the league, he played right back where he began his career 33 times. Who went first in the game? Nobody else but David Beckham.
With Jose Antonio Reyes and Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ramos celebrates winning the 2006–07 LaLiga, his first trophy as a Real Madrid player.
In his early years, Ramos partnered with David Beckham on the right side.
3) Brace in 2014 Champions League semi-finals
Even though he ultimately won four European Cups, it took him nine years after moving to the Bernabeu to win his first.
With a 1-0 first-leg advantage in the 2013–14 semifinals, Ramos eliminated Bayern Munich by scoring twice in quick succession at the Allianz Arena.
Both shots—the first from a corner and the second from a free kick—were powered past Manuel Neuer and into the same corner. Real broke the last-four curse after being eliminated from the semi-finals the previous three years.
Ramos celebrating his second goal against Bayern in the 2014 UCL semifinals is a common sight.
2) First captain to win three straight Champions League trophies
Ramos took over as club captain after the contentious departure of Iker Casillas in 2015, and boy did he get things going.
Zinedine Zidane, an ex-teammate of Rafael Benitez, took over as head coach after Benitez was fired. What happened next? Three victories in the Champions League, against Atletico, Juventus, and finally Liverpool.
In particular, in 2016 when he scored against Atletico in a game they won on penalties at the San Siro, Ramos was the star of all three.
But in 2018, as he did so for the third year in a row, he made history by becoming the first captain to do so. Even though he was the first captain to capture back-to-back championships, it wasn’t enough.
In 2018, Ramos wins the Champions League for the third time in a row as captain.
1) Equaliser in 2014 Champions League final vs Atletico Madrid
The pinnacle of his Real Madrid career, without a doubt.
Real felt their big moment slipping away at the hands of their rivals in Lisbon with La Decima and city bragging rights on the line, trailing 1-0 deep into stoppage time.
Ramos, however, rose to perfection from an out-swinging corner to head inch-perfectly beyond Thibaut Courtois just as all hope seemed to be lost.
Bam, chaos. There was definitely relief. Ramos became the first player to win club football’s top honor when Real went on to win 4-1 in overtime.
In the 2014 Champions League final, Ramos broke Atletico’s hearts with a perfectly timed header.
The centre back celebrates after scoring what was the biggest goal of his Real Madrid career.
WORST MOMENTS
5) Dropping Copa del Rey trophy, 2011
We begin this list of contentious items with a somewhat lighter moment.
A fiery Ramos overreacted while riding in the open-top bus to celebrate Real’s Copa del Rey victory in 2011 after the team defeated Barcelona in extra time.
The Spanishman dropped the trophy, and the right-front wheel of the bus ran over it in spite of requests for the driver to stop! The trophy was actually found intact, much to Ramos’ relief.
The Copa del Rey trophy was dropped by Ramos in 2011 (L), and the open-top bus ran over it.
4) Injuring Mo Salah/Loris Karius, 2018 Champions League Final
Ramos was undoubtedly the pantomime villain that evening in Kiev, despite the ꜰᴀᴄᴛ that he did make history by winning his third European Cup while serving as captain in 2018.
Initially, he ʜᴜʀᴛ Mohamed Salah, the star player for Liverpool, in the first half by wrapping his arm during a challenge that forced the Egyptian to leave the field with a shoulder ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ.
The Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius then received an unnecessary shove from Ramos at a set-piece just moments before he made a mistake, which was later confirmed to have concussed the German.
Do we believe Ramos cared, though? With yet another Champions League champions medal ʜᴀɴɢɪɴɢ around his neck, not at all.
Ramos injured Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, becoming the pantomime villain in the 2018 UCL Final.
3) Four red cards in first season
We have the overall sum after what seemed like an endless series of events: Ramos received 26 yellow cards during his time with Real Madrid, eight of them straight reds.
Incredible lack of discipline. But perhaps Madrid supporters should have anticipated it. He received four red cards in his rookie campaign between September 2005 and May 2006.
He was dismissed for handball, a dangerous tackle, ꜰɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ with a substitute, and two bookable offenses, giving him the full collection of dismissals.
Ramos was dismissed 26 times during his time at Real Madrid, including four times in his rookie campaign.
2) Missed penalty vs Bayern, 2012 Champions League semi-finals
Jose Mourinho’s team ended Barcelona’s domestic hegemony in a season, but they were unable to duplicate that success in Europe.
Again, there was heartache in the semifinals. Ramos missed his penalty attempt from the second spot in the semifinal match against Bayern, which was decided on penalties on home soil.
Real appeared to have no chance of finishing La Decima at this point, and Ramos was made fun of online for his errant spot-kick.
In the 2012 Champions League semifinals against Bayern, the defender misses his penalty by a wide margin.
1) Red card vs Barcelona, November 2010 El Clasico
Against Barcelona, Ramos was ejected five times, three of which were for straight reds. Hot-headed? merely a little.
But the infamous 2011 El Clasico, which Barca won 5-0 at the Nou Camp, was his first, and it was his lowest point.
He tripped over Lionel Messi and then shoved Carles Puyol and Xavi in the face with a recklessly dangerous challenge.
It’s hard to believe that a few months prior, they were World Cup winning teammates. Ramos was without a doubt capable of losing his cool under pressure despite all of his ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ traits.
At the conclusion of the El Clasico in November 2010 at the Nou Camp, Ramos lost his composure completely.
He was warned for an irresponsible challenge before pushing Carles Puyol (above).
