Sergio Ramos claims Spain ‘redeemed themselves’ despite their World Cup exit to Russia, who ‘could only cause us problems through penalties’.
“My tears? Losing is very tough to take. Whenever you’re eliminated, it’s very painful,” the Real Madrid defender said after the game, which La Roja lost 4-3 on penalties.
“The team did everything possible, we were eager to redeem ourselves as a national team.
“We couldn’t do any more. We left our souls on the pitch and played with pride. We gave everything.
“They took us to penalties, which was the only way they could cause us problems. We had possession of the ball, but penalties are a lottery and we lost.
“It’s a very tough blow to take, but every Spaniard will feel proud. We feel more Spanish if we lose like this.
“Penalty in extra-time? I didn’t see it, I was involved at the time and stopped from finishing off [the move].
“Still, it’s happened now. We’re not going to look at the images, that’s what the VAR is for. The officials will have looked over it and decided not to whistle for it.
“End of an era? Hopefully not. We have a team who can keep dreaming. Despite the criticism and doubts in the group stage, we redeemed ourselves today.
“There will be players who come back and others who leave, but they’ll always have this pride.”
