Sergio Ramos, winner of the World Cup and two-time European Championship winner, has announced his retirement from the national team. The footballer does not hide his regret, because the decision resulted from the behavior of the team coach, not from his heart.
Sergio Ramos has released a statement announcing his retirement from the Spanish national team after a phone call from coach Luis de la Fuente. The national team manager told Ramos that he did not and would not count on him, regardless of his level.
Sergio Ramos posted the news of his departure from the national team on his social networks. In a long and very personal farewell to the team in the form of a statement, Ramos did not hide his resentment towards coach Luis de la Fuente and resentment that non-sporting factors decide about his being in the team. Ramos has made 180 appearances for Spain.
Below is the text of the statement:
The time has come, the time to say goodbye to the national team, our beloved and exciting Roja. This morning I received a call from the current coach who told me that he does not count and that he will not count on me, regardless of the level I can show or how I continue my career. With a lot of regret, it is the end of a journey that I had hoped would be longer and that ends with a better taste in my mouth, on a par with all the successes we have achieved with our national team. I humbly believe that this career deserved to end because of a personal decision or because my performances were not up to what our national team deserves, but not because of my age or other reasons that, without having heard them, I have felt. Because being young or less young is not a virtue or a defect, it is just a temporary characteristic that is not necessarily related to performance or ability. I look with admiration and envy at Modric, Messi, Pepe… the essence, tradition, values, meritocracy and justice in football. Unfortunately this will not be the case for me, because football is not always fair and football is never just football. For all these reasons I take it with this sadness that I want to share with you, but also with my head held very high and very grateful for all these years and for all your support. I take with me indelible memories, all the titles we have fought for and celebrated together and the tremendous pride of being the Spanish player with the most international caps. This crest, this shirt and this fan base, all of you, have made me happy. I will continue to cheer on my country from home with the emotion of a privileged person who has been able to represent it proudly 180 times. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who always believed in me!