Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos risks extra game ban after appearing to admit he got booked on purpose against Ajax in order to serve suspension during second leg
- Real Madrid beat Ajax 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie
- Marco Asensio netted winner after goals from Karim Benzema snd Hakim Ziyech
- Sergio Ramos got booked for a cynical foul on Kasper Dolberg in the 89th minute
- The yellow card now means he will be suspended for the second leg in Madrid
- Viewers thought the booking was deliberate and Ramos has confirmed it was
Sergio Ramos has risked being banned for an extra game after incredibly appearing to admit that he got himself booked on purpose during the closing stages of Real Madrid’s victory over Ajax on Wednesday night.
The Madrid captain recklessly took out Danish forward Kasper Dolberg as the Dutch side attempted to break, getting absolutely nowhere near the ball. He seemed furious with Dolberg but his anger completely dissipated the moment the card was brandished.
The yellow was Ramos’ third in this season’s Champions League, meaning he will now serve a one-game suspension in the second leg of of the last-16 tie and be free to play in the quarter-final, which will likely be a tougher test.
Sergio Ramos (left) has appeared to admit that he got himself booked on purpose against Ajax
Viewers watching believed that that was exactly the result that Ramos was looking for with Madrid now clear favourites to advance after a big away result and the Los Blancos skipper has now confirmed their suspicions.
‘Not to underestimate the opponent, but sometimes you have to take these decisions and that’s what I decided,’ he said in a post-match interview with El Chiringuito TV.
BT Sport’s commentators immediately noticed something was up with one quickly asking if that was ‘the booking he was looking for’ following the blatant foul.
‘That’s very obvious that he was looking to get booked there,’ the other responded. ‘He’s just gambling everything there. He knows it’s not enough to get sent off, he just gets the booking he needs.’
Sergio Ramos (left) attempts to challenge Ajax forward Kasper Dolberg in the 89th minute
The Madrid captain gets nowhere near the ball as he brings down his opponent
UEFA rules stipulate that players will receive a ‘suspension for two competition matches or for a specified period for clearly receiving a yellow or red card on purpose’.
Madrid team-mate Dani Carvajal received such a ban following his booking in the final minute of the 6-0 win over Apoel Nicosia in last season’s tournament.
Ramos has been accused of deliberately seeking bookings in the past, notably when he and Xabi Alonso, both on the verge of suspension, were booked in the final minutes of a Champions League first leg against Galatasaray in 2013.
The same duo also faced similar accusations in a group game at Ajax in 2010, with Madrid 4-0 up and guaranteed a last-16 spot. They dallied over set-pieces, each earning a second yellow for time-wasting, suspension for the irrelevant final group game, and a clean slate for the knockout phase.
Ramos shakes Dolberg’s (left) hand as the referee shows him a yellow card
The centre back celebrates in front of the Madrid fans following the full-time whistle
