Sergio Ramos is the heart of Real Madrid • In his absence she is pale, with whom she breathes the air of peaks • Is that enough to determine that he is the best in history in his role?
• Tonight against Mönchengladbach, the brake is back to revive the Blancos in the Champions League
Ramos.
Abortion and Maradona of the defense
Photography:
IPI
These days the world was supposed to debate the identity of the greatest footballer of all time.
Pele celebrated 80 a few days ago, Diego Armando
Maradona will close at 60 this weekend, and go find a better timing for the tiring salon talk in human history.
But instead of reasoning why that and not that, the world is engaged in discussions about the identity of the best brake in history.
France Football magazine published a poll this week trying to answer that question, and the answer received drew endless reactions.
Franz Beckenbauer, Franco Barzi, Fabio Cannavaro, Daniel Pasarella, Marcel Desai, Bobby Moore, Matthias Zamer and Gaitano Shira will all be left behind and see the backs of the only active player on the list: Sergio Ramos, who will return to the Real Madrid squad tonight in the Champions League. Mönchengladbach is, according to many, the best brake ever.
There is no doubt that the short memory of the respondents, as well as their average age and poor acquaintance with the football played before the 2000s, influenced the results of the survey.
It is likely that many did not see what he saw in action and are unaware of Pasarella's miraculous abilities, which he spent most of his years at Argentine River Plate.
Also, one has to take into account the fact that the poll was conducted a day after Real's victory in the Clasico where Ramos scored his 100th goal in the white uniform.
And yet, despite the contemporaneity that emerges from this poll, it is hard not to be impressed that 60% of voters think Ramos is a big brake in the world.
Ramos in the Clásico. Came back just in time // Photo: AFP
Long live the difference
Although the intergenerational surveys reflect nothing but the present, in this specific case the survey reinforces Ramos' underappreciated greatness.
The 34-year-old stopper, who has won everything, has never been close to winning the Golden Ball, but as the years go by his influence on Real and his importance within the team becomes clearer.
Here only this week she lost without him 2: 3 to Shakhtar Donetsk and a few days later defeated him 1: 3 over Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Last year he was defeated without him 0: 3 by PSG and four days later won with him 0: 1 in Sevilla.
Accumulation of such cases reduces the feeling that it is a coincidence and increases the understanding that there is a player here who changes team.
Real have lost seven of their last eight Champions League games without him, further proof of his tremendous impact.
"One gets the impression that there has never been a brake that has influenced his team so much," Farnes Football wrote, "the fact that he does so both defensively and offensively sets him apart from the rest."
Ramos' defensive contribution is well known.
He has been the back anchor in five championships, four European Cups and all the other secondary trophies while making sure to make those around him better.
His offensive contribution, however, is unique to the player in his role.
As mentioned, 100 goals in the Blancos uniform.
He is the king of Spanish league goals among the brakes with 74 (Ronald Koeman second with 67) and holds a streak of 25 accurate penalties.
His resume includes expatriates in the Champions League final and other big games, when last season he set a record of 11 goals that helped Real win the championship.
Ramos in concluding training last night in Germany. Takes out more from his friends // Photo: IPI
Maradona and Pele of the defense
"We know exactly what Ramos stands for," Zinedine Zidane complimented him last year, "and not just as an actor."
Yes, even in his other hats, captain and leader, Ramos steers the team.
He is the one who conducted the negotiations with Florentino Perez regarding the reduction of players' salaries and he is the one who made sure that this did not leak to the media. Since Cristiano Ronaldo left, His contract is for two years.
All of these things Ramos does - on and off the field - have made him Real's biggest star and consensus among the brakes of the current generation.
And as France Football's poll has shown, Ramos is the abortion and maradona of defensive players.
