Ramos: Pique relationship is good

Sergio Ramos has lifted the lid on how he and Gerard Pique worked together this summer, and why he took the penalty he did against Portugal at Euro 2012.

The Real Madrid defender sat down with The Guardian this week to discuss a number of topics, including looking ahead to Madrid’s Champions League clash with Manchester United.

Ramos also looked back and to the summer’s Euro 2012 success for Spain, which in the run to the final saw the defender notably take a ‘paneka’ penalty in the semi-final shoot-out win over Portugal.

It was just a few months on from the penalty he had blasted over for Madrid in their Champions League semi-final shoot-out defeat to Bayern Munich.

“That moment marks you forever, after the Champions League experience and everything people said. In those moments when the pressure and responsibility is overwhelming, I've always stood up,” Ramos reflected.

“When I planted my left foot, the ball lifted and my right foot went under the ball. It wasn't that I was nervous or bottled it and it hurt that people said that.

“When I got home that night, I said to my dad and brother Rene: the next penalty, Panenka. You'll see. They'll soon shut up.

“Did I practice? Not on the penalty spot because there were cameras around, but the touch itself, the dink. I remember Vicente [del Bosque] saying: 'You won't dare'. I said: 'You'll see'. When I did it, everyone said: 'What bollocks!' or 'Are you mad?'

“But if you think coldly, it's logical. The goalkeeper doesn't expect it after what I'd been through. If you hit it hard, you can miss. If you dink it softly, it's harder to miss. The keeper could stand still and gracias, sure, but of 80,000 there, 79,999 thought I'd hit it hard.

“Only Jesus Navas and Raul Albiol knew. When extra-time finished, he came over and I said: 'The moment's come’.”

Focus before Euro 2012 was on Barcelona and Real Madrid’s club rivalry and whether the palyers would be able to put it to one side again.

Ramos’ strong central defensive partnership with Gerard Pique was a key facet of Spain’s success at the tournament.

“The doubt was there. There'd been a lot of rife-rafe. Vicente handled it well and we saw the need to resolve it. We had a meeting. Spain is pretty much six or seven from Barcelona and five or six from Madrid. That was too important for us to ruin.

“Pique and me had differences but now the relationship is good. I'm not necessarily talking about friendship and nor is that vital. It's about professional commitment.

“I don't go for a beer with him when he's in Madrid or if I'm in Barcelona. At Madrid it's perhaps harder because you practically live together.

“There's daily contact, and there may be more clashes but closer relationships too. With Spain, it's three or four times a year, or a month together [at a tournament]. You can overcome issues.

“I grabbed Pique and we spoke: 'Let's stop being little kids, let's stop being so unintelligent and unprofessional. Both of us.

“We're two great players but you're not going to have a good tournament without my help and I'm not going to have a good one without yours.'”

The centre-back admitted, though, that celebrations this summer were more muted than in previous years.

“We celebrated the first Euro more intensely because it had been so long since Spain won something and the peak was the World Cup.

“They were telling people not to come to Madrid because they couldn't fit anyone else in. We really did unite a country and with all their problems people needed that. That imposes responsibility on you – we're conscious of our social power, what we represent – but joy too.

“Our margin for error is getting smaller. People expect us to win now and if we don't… It felt different this time, more 'normal', but we shouldn't forget how hard it is to win something. They expect us to win, four, five, six years running but that's just not normal.”

 

Ramos reflected on his close relationship with the Coaches through his career, and how that has led to their reliance on his versatility at times.

“Vicente [del Bosque] is close to you, always communicating, but gives you space to not burden, not to pressure you like some Coaches like Capello or Mourinho who have a different way of working towards the same basic goal.

“Ultimately, what matters is your own demands. A Coach can encourage you with praise or criticism but you have to want to.

“Coaches have used me as a kind of Comodin [wild card]. 'We need a striker', striker. 'We need a midfielder', midfielder. Right-wing, pivot, centre-back, full-back, right, left. I've never felt uncomfortable anywhere.

“I could happily play [at right-back again] if needed but I'm more comfortable centrally now. You're the axis of the defence, you lead, you organise, you have hierarchy, status, you position the full-backs. My evolution has been intellectual, emotional too. You learn quickly at Madrid. Every lesson here is three elsewhere. I'm a centre-back now.”

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