Sergio Ramos is totally surprised with the uproar on the yellow card issue.
Real Madrid beat Ajax 2-1 at John Cruyff Stadium on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. Karim Benzema’s opener was canceled out by Hakim Ziyech’s well-taken goal, but Marco Asensio made sure that the Los Blancos did not walk anything short of a victory.
The game was surrounded by full of controversies when Tagliafico’s header was overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). The players decided to carry on with no appeals, but the referee pulled it back to cut down that goal.
During the buildup to the second goal, Lucas Vazquez knocks down Frenkie De Jong. The referee was two yards away from that incident but refused to use the technology when Ajax players wanted them to. Even though there is no direct influence, many referees would have pulled it back should they have noticed it.
However, during the 89th minute, Sergio Ramos during his 600th cap pulled back Kasper Dolberg and received a yellow wantedly.
600 matches of leadership.
600 matches of courage.
600 matches of passion.
600 matches of class.600 matches of @SergioRamos. 😎 pic.twitter.com/qKbi3eLrsj
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) February 15, 2019
Speaking to the press after the game, the Spanish International said “I had no choice. It was a very dangerous counter-attack in the 88th minute with the match wide open and the tie as well,”
“That’s why I said that I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t know that I would be suspended, just as I knew that I had no choice but to make the foul.
“And that’s what I meant when I said that in football you have to make difficult decisions.”
With the comments made after the game, UEFA have opened investigations regarding this matter. Ramos says that he is shocked with the amount of uproar he has received about the yellow card issue.
“I had no choice.”
Sergio Ramos has been surprised by the reaction to his yellow card against Ajax.
Read more: https://t.co/tWyZjcB5iI pic.twitter.com/ILnFcURhBH
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 16, 2019
Sergio Ramos admitted he got a yellow card on purpose to avoid the threat of a suspension in later #UCL rounds 👀 pic.twitter.com/M6HhYuxlZm
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 13, 2019
He has received criticism.
And found himself at the centre of a ‘card controversy’.
But we sat down with @SergioRamos…
As the @realmadriden captain had his say on the matter.
INTERVIEW 👇
🗣 https://t.co/34DCCNraiE pic.twitter.com/VnDRmKT6wa
— MARCA in English (@MARCAinENGLISH) February 16, 2019
“I’m very surprised by all of this,” the Spain defender told Marca.
“I meant to force the foul, a foul that was inevitable; not to force the suspension.”
With that yellow card, Ramos is suspended for the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu and he will enter into the quarterfinals cleanly.
Real Madrid are currently in perfect shape, but they could lose their players via suspensions. Sergio Ramos could be banned for two games in the Champions League and Gareth Bale could face 12 game suspension for a provocative celebration against Atletico Madrid in the La Liga.
