Sergio Ramos has joked that he wants Real Madrid to win the Club World Cup “before minute 90-and-Ramos” on Sunday.
Madrid face Japanese side Kashima Antlers in Sunday’s showdown, having beat Club America 2-0 in the semi-finals on Thursday, and they are set to line up with the fit-again Ramos, who has a penchant for a late goal in important matches.
“Whenever there’s a trophy up for grabs, it’s a new experience,” the defender said at a Press conference.
“Despite having a great record, I reset myself each season to start from scratch. As captain, lifting a trophy is a source of pride, a dream every time.
“I feel pretty good. I suffered an overload for the minutes I’ve played in recent games, but I’ve trained and I’m completely available to the Coach.
“Zidane? From the moment he arrived, the group changed completely. He’s managed the dressing room well, we came a whisker away from becoming champions, but it wasn’t to be.
“Still, we won the Champions League and Super Cup. One of the keys is that he’s transferred his talent as a player to his career as a Coach.
“Will we have to wait for ‘minute 90-and-Ramos’? I prefer the team to win before then!
“There have been times when I was the protagonist, and if I can contribute, Real Madrid can live more calmly without the need for such minutes.
“I always fight until the last minute and Madrid require us to have this faith. At the end of games, I’ve had very good luck, but you also have to look for it.
“It’ss difficult to define what this Madrid have over others, comparisons are odious. I’d pick something from every Madrid, but it’s true that it’s very difficult to have a group like the one we have now.
“We’ve gone years without many signings and stayed the same. I’ve experienced times when there were many Brazilians, many Dutchmen.
“Now we’ve been the same together for some time, we know each other with a simple look and that’s very important.
“Kashima? They eliminated the best team in South Africa and South America, so they’re the best team in Japan, but after many kilometres, we want to win this Club World Cup.
“Ronaldo? He’s the best. There are two players that stand out, Cristiano and Messi, and the difference is very small, but this year Ronaldo deserved [the Ballon d’Or].
“VAR? I’m a supporter of new technologies and I’m in favour of improving football.”