Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos says “La Liga was not won because of referees”

Real Madrid made their way to Catalunya as they played against FC Barcelona in the second Clásico of the season. Here’s a look at what the player had to say after the match.

There is no doubt that El Clasico was a heated affair with eight yellow cards and a straight red card handed out by the referee. Despite all the cautions, there were still several calls completely missed by the officials.

Several players from Real Madrid fielded questions from the media sharing their thoughts on the match and specific incidents. Marcelo fielded questions on the incident while Sergio Ramos displayed his class when being pressured to state that referees helped Barcelona win La Liga this season.

All quotes have been taken directly from the Official Real Madrid page. 

Sergio Ramos

Opening Statement

“A Clásico is never just another match. We knew what we were playing for. We wanted to win and Madrid had a very good game in general. This is the way to prepare for the final in Kiev.”

La Liga

“LaLiga was not won because of referees, they did brilliantly and we have to congratulate them. In general, they were more balanced over the year and the course of the competition.”

Not putting the ball out to touch

“Whenever someone gets hurt on the pitch and we think it’s serious, we kick the ball out, it’s a mark of respect, but knowing what he is like, his style and how he is, I didn’t think it was necessary to do so.”

Messi and the referee

“He put a bit of pressure on him in the tunnel. I’m not sure if that affected things but in the second half certain fouls were refereed in a certain way.”

Marcelo

"“The result was not what we wanted, but we had a great game. The referees have a difficult job, under a lot of pressure, sometimes they make mistakes and other time they don’t. For Sergi Roberto’s sending off, I felt something on the face. I’ve not seen it, but it happened. Cristiano’s injury isn’t serious, it’s a knock on the ankle. As for Luis Suarez, we know what some players are like. Football is played out on the field and that’s that.”"

Casemiro

“We had control of the game. The quality of a player marked the difference in the goal to make it 2-1 and, without Cristiano, we lost a bit in the second half. The result is fair, although it’s true that the referee could have blown for a penalty on Marcelo. The draw isn’t down to the referee. There are some uncertain moments, but they always want to do as well as possible.”

“Although the officials might have got a few decisions wrong, today both teams showed that we’re the best in the league, we wanted to go for the game and we both played well.”

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“The Real Madrid badge makes you want to win. Congratulations to Barcelona for winning LaLiga, I’m looking towards the Champions League final: we have the chance to show we’re the best in Europe.”

Nacho Fernandez

Opening Statement

“They have gone all of LaLiga without losing and it was an ideal day to win, but they coped well with a man less. Generally speaking, it was a good game. We’re a little disappointed. The important thing is that we played well, we had a chance to win. We hope Cristiano will be back soon and it’s only a knock.”

The Referees

“We don’t want to talk about them, sometimes they are in your favor and other times not. There were chances today where we could have benefitted more. We’re happy in general and we can forget about the refs. If VAR helps then that’s perfect. Anything that helps is good, as long as it doesn’t jeopardize the game or slow it down.”

Social Media

Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos had an incredible game against Barcelona, moving well through the back line blocking several shots and making some key interceptions. Despite the result, Ramos showed his class through his interview questions and via Twitter showing his pride for the badge of Real Madrid.

Karim Benzema

While the Frenchman did not have much to say via Twitter, he spoke volumes in his performance at the Camp Nou. His smart header across the face of goal showed his great understanding of Ronaldo’s play as well as selflessness.

Guti Hernandez and Dani Carvajal

While he may not be a player anymore, Guti is of course still supporting his club. Several emojis showed Guti’s displeasure in the referee’s lack of calls over the course of the game. Dani Carvajal also did the same as he watched the match from home.

My Thoughts

It was definitely an exciting game with an action-packed 90 minutes. There were questionable calls and then calls that were not made. The match is over now and there are bigger things to focus on, namely the Champions League Final. Just 19 days away Real Madrid needs to focus on two things, health, and defensive structure.

The first half of the season saw Real Madrid struggle to score goals, but the latter half has shown us that this is no longer an issue. A problem arises though when the defense negates the efforts of the offense. If Real were to score 100 goals, it would be extremely impressive, but if the opponent scores 101 it completely negates the offensive capabilities of the team.

Next: Cristiano Ronaldo’s ankle sprain is not serious

Madrid needs to fix up the lack of defense, specifically on the wings of the pitch. More notably, the left flank of which Marcelo occupies. Barca’s first goal was a clear example of the latency shown by Marcelo.

There is no doubting his attacking capabilities but that too comes at a cost. With Marcelo high up the pitch, Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto broke free with tons of space for the early goal.

On the other hand, Real need to take care of their injury list. Carvajal and Isco will be instrumental to success in the UCL. Without Carvajal, the right will be far more exposed and lack the attacking oomph and support. Isco’s masterful skill on the ball will be a great asset to the attack just as he was against Juventus.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, needs to nurse his ankle to ensure that he will be ready for the Final. There is no sense in playing the final three games of the season. Raphael Varane will also need to be followed carefully as his calf has been giving him some trouble once again.

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