Watching the desert

The medical tests bluff, the debut farce, millions for watching from the stands and the surprising statement last week ("I will try to make the two years in Paris three years") that provoked anger ("There are players living on another planet").

The Failure of the Matchmaking of Sergio Ramos and PSG

Tomer Yitzhak

17/04/2022

Sunday, April 17, 2022, 2:00 p.m.

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On July 7, after already summing up his terms at Paris Saint-Germain and announcing to the world his departure from Real Madrid after a glorious 16 years of achievement, Sergio Ramos arrived in the French capital to undergo medical tests.

The veteran brake played only five times in 2021 and the tests aroused great curiosity in France and Spain in light of the market injury he suffered, so PSG decided to change the narrative and the club came out with reports that "Ramos stunned the doctors".

Increased to do Muhammad Bohafi, the leading correspondent of RMC, who said: "Everyone who saw him at PSG was impressed by his seriousness and even more so by his physical condition. All the results were excellent."

More than three months passed until the truth became clear.

Other journalists reported that contrary to the same dripping reports of admiration, PSG doctors noticed some worrying data and warned even on the day of the tests that Ramos would have a hard time getting back to playing at the high level.

That did not stop the club from giving him a two-year contract, with a net salary of 6 million euros per season.

So far, it's actually a million euros for every league game - a ridiculous expense even for the wasteful Qataris.

Ramos, who was brought in to lead PSG in the Champions League, was unfit for even a single minute in Europe.

In the cup he had half against an amateur team and in the league he recorded six appearances, one goal, a red card and contempt for every touch in the last home game.

Tonight (Sunday, 21:45) he may participate in the French Clasico against Marseille for the first time, but the main question is about the continuation of the match and how the audience will receive him after the statements that he intends to end his contract and stay even beyond that.

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Now no more cheering.

Sergio Ramos on the eve of his performance at the Parc des France (Photo: GettyImages, John Berry)

Beyond the strong desire to win the Champions League for the first time, Paris Saint-Germain in the Qatari era aspires to be Real Madrid.

The tradition, the control of Europe's main factory and the fact that children dream of playing in the media from the day they kicked the ball for the first time (and are willing to compromise financially during their professional careers to make it happen) - all these are enviable.

But this is an unattainable goal.

The signings of Angel Di Maria, Kaylor Navas and Ashraf Hakimi were, among other things, an attempt to bring a hint of this spirit of Real.

Until the arrival (if and when) of the man who brought the Blancos the Champions League three times in a row, PSG will put a spell on his captain - the undisputed leader and sergeant in the days after Raul and Iker Casillas.

This need to emulate Real, combined with the pursuit of selling shirts and reaching new markets, caused the French to ignore all the warning lights in the case of Ramos.

The Spanish stopper was the best in the world in the previous decade, but suffered a hamstring injury last season during which he started in just 15 league games - his least in his 16 years at Real Madrid.

In 2021 he recorded just 395 minutes in five games and could not go out with Spain for the Euros, but PSG still touched, and was burned.

The Qataris were the only ones to offer Ramos a two-year contract and in early July he was fed up with waiting for a counter-offer from Real and concluded his terms at PSG.

"The contract for more than one season made the difference," he explained after the signing.

"It gave future security to my family and me."

For the first few days he enjoyed with his brother in Paris, then experienced difficulty adapting in locating schools for children and a place to live, and everyone hoped that everything would fall into place in peace once he could get on the lawn for the first time.

But this moment has been postponed time and time again.

Leonardo has already admitted by mistake.

Sergio Ramos with professional manager and Nasser al-Khalafi (Photo: Reuters)

After realizing at PSG that Ramos' market injury is not that simple, they set September 22 as the due date for the debut.

It did not happen.

"Injury to the calf muscles at such a late stage of the career is bad news because it is rare to fully recover from it," claimed Jerome Rotten, then a former PSG player and the sharpest critic among commentators today.

"I have a lot of doubt if he can return to the high level with this pain. They said he was going to change the mentality in the locker room, but Marcinius and Kimpamba have a much higher impact on the current squad. His skills as a motivator are not enough for Paris right now, he should contribute on the pitch. "Able, so there is no point in joining. So I get the feeling that this signing was a bad idea."

There was talk of a premiere in late October, but Ramos was not ready yet and the whole thing turned into a farce.

The brakeman was eventually included in the squad for the game against Manchester City on 24 November and remained on the bench, and four days later wore his PSG uniform for the away game against Saint-Etienne.

His participation apparently stemmed from a desire to calm the criticism, with Leonardo claiming that the Spanish media is the one heating up the sector with reports that Ramos may retire even before playing once in the PSG uniform.

Those 90 minutes in a 1-3 win created muscle problems that sidelined the brake for another three weeks.

He returned for half-time in the Cup, was then sent off in the league against Lorraine and managed to record two more appearances before the same market injury returned.

This time, Ramos' prolonged absence already had meaning.

After all, he was not brought in to take a championship in France.

PSG can also achieve this with Persephone Kimpamba, improvisation like Danilo Pereira and even a brake from the academy.

The goal was the Champions League, and the spicy encounter with Real Madrid in the quarter-finals created a cosmic opportunity, but Ramos once again watched from the stands.

And how much his uncompromising leadership and drive were lacking for PSG in the moments of the Bernabeu collapse.

Leonardo later also admitted: "He was in good physical condition when we signed him, but unfortunately things did not work out as we had hoped. It is difficult for him and difficult for us too. We will wait until the end of the season to make decisions, but I am not afraid to admit the mistakes I made."

Too long in the heights will offer honor.

Sergio Ramos in the home game against Real (Photo: Reuters)

His ex continued on his European journey, galloping to the championship in Spain as well and all this while waiting for minutes against Lorraine and Clermont and hearing his boss talk about his joining as a "mistake", but Ramos is not frustrated.

In an interview with former actor Ludovic July on Prime Video Sport, he said last week: "I have two years here in Paris and I will try to make them three years. It remains to be seen. As long as my body lasts, I think mentally I am focused and can continue. Right now "I feel really good, happy here and dead to play. I see myself continuing to play at the highest levels for another four to five years. After that I will be ready for a new experience."

Ramos not only put an end to rumors of retirement, but declared a desire to extend his contract at PSG and surprised many.

Commentator Rotten responded at RMC: "Honestly, it's ridiculous. We're in mid-April and he only has six games, three of them full. I wish him good health and all the best, but in a year and a half he has not played more than 10 games. It's tragic for A 36-year-old player. I think he does not want to see reality. I have no intention of just attacking him, but it seems that there are players who live on another planet, without any humility. He wants to stay? Really surprising, he earns a million euros a month. In every degree possible, but now shut up and do your job on the grass. "

He said Rotten's assailants were also partners in PSG's ultras.

In the home game against Lorraine, in which Ramos partnered for 18 minutes as a substitute after about two and a half months off the pitches, they accompanied every touch of him with shouts of contempt.

"I don't think it was aimed at him," coach Mauricio Pochettino tried to defend at the end.

"It was against all of us, because of the results in the Champions League."

But the truth is that in that game no one else experienced it.

Fans expressed their opinion on the rest of the players in the previous home game against Bordeaux, and Ramos was the only one not involved then.

For them, the veteran brakeman is (another) mercenary and a symbol of preference for selling shirts over having to win games.

Will Ramos be able to correct the impression?

To do that he needs to be fit and play.

He completed 90 minutes in a 1-6 win over Clermont last week, but that was when Marcinius got a rest.

The Brazilian captain is set to return against Marseille and it is not inconceivable that Ramos will be the one to lose his place.

The more distant future will already depend on the next coach.

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• Sergio Ramos

• Paris Saint-Germain