Sergio Ramos is fast closing in on the all-time international appearance record held by Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan… but Luis Enrique must make tough decisions ahead of his potential curtain-call at Euro 2020
- Sergio Ramos is four games away from having the most international caps ever
- He is chasing down the record set by Egypt legend Ahmed Hassan with 184
- Spain boss Luis Enrique was criticised for subbing Ramos on late to play Kosovo
- There are also grumbles when Ramos is omitted from first team duties
Sergio Ramos is now just four games from the all-time record for international appearances held by Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan but suddenly breaking that and doing it leading Spain to glory at the Euros looks like one of the biggest challenges of his career.
‘Sergio is just coming back from injury,’ said Luis Enrique after he had left him on the bench for the second game running on Wednesday and then only put him on for an hour. ‘He has come back from it very quickly.’
Too quickly, it now seems, judging from events since the match. He pulled a left calf muscle in the warm down post Kosovo game and after training on Friday back at Real Madrid the club announced he was out indefinitely with most estimates saying he’ll miss the Clasico and both legs of Madrid’s Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool.
All eyes are on Sergio Ramos as he tries to break the record for international appearances
Ramos came off the bench in Spain’s clash with Kosovo, for which Luis Enrique was criticised
Luis Enrique can’t win when it comes to the Real Madrid captain and his supporters. On one side he is criticised for not starting him.
On the other side he is accused of having bowed to pressure to give him a few minutes that will count as an appearance as he hunts down that world record of 184 caps. Now he may even be blamed for bringing him on only for him then to get injured.
When the teams were announced ahead of Spain’s win over Kosovo it certainly seemed like a message that the skipper will only play if he is 100 per cent.
Spain now have more options at centre-back than they have had for a long time and the manager has shown he is brave enough to go with youth.
Sergio Ramos revealed he has picked up a calf problem in an emotional Instagram post
Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan (seen right) is the most internationally capped male footballer ever
Only four players started all three of Spain’s qualifiers and two of those were Manchester City youngsters Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres.
Garcia is only 20 and Torres is just 21. Neither have played much for Manchester City of late but that didn’t stop Luis Enrique trusting them and Garcia rewarded him with an extraordinary 95 per cent pass completion rate.
He has the potential to form a partnership with 24-year-old Pau Torres that could last Spain long into the future. The question is does that pairing start at the Euros or after Ramos has had his swansong in his last tournament.
The Pau Torres-Garcia partnership looks good on paper. The left-footed Villarreal stopper who could well be snaffled up by Real Madrid this season. And the right-footed City defender who will join Barcelona when the season ends.
But as they say in Spain: Ramos is mucho Ramos. When you leave him out you are leaving an awful lot out – the experience, the goals (many of them vital last-minute ones) and the leadership.
But he seems now to be a little more fragile than he has been during his extraordinary career.
Spain icon Ramos has no intention of hanging his shirt up anytime soon, despite being 35
He sounded distraught in the Instagram message he posted yesterday saying: ‘If there is one thing that hurts me, it is not being able to help the team in these highly demanding matches in which the season’s spoils are at stake; and also not being able to return the love and energy that the fans transmit to me on the pitch. All I can do is speak frankly, work hard and cheer on the team with all my heart.’
With competition for places at centre-back in the Spain team so intense now, the run-in had become doubly important for Ramos because he is not just playing to remain an automatic pick for Spain but to earn a new contract with his club.
‘When there is something to report then I will let it be known,’ he had said on Wednesday night. For the moment the contract is parked and I’m just concentrating on playing.’
With an absence of better offers from top European clubs the most likely scenario at this juncture is still for him to sign and claim his long-term loyalty was never in doubt.
A good run-in would have helped him ensure that was how things panned-out. Now he must get fit again first – making it back for the Euros and, if possible for the end of Real Madrid’s season.
Eric Garcia (centre) is seen as the future of Spanish football along with Pau Torres in defence
Luis Enrique will be in intrigued spectator as he fights to do it. He knows Ramos is special. ‘He is an example to everyone because he knows how to contribute when he is in the team and when he is not and that can be difficult,’ he said. ‘For me it’s a privilege to have him.’
Ramos will go to the Euros if he is fit. This Spain group lacks leaders. That is why he is so important to Luis Enrique. But to ensure that he is not just there watching from the sidelines but starting every game he needs to prove he’s back to his best.
This international break was a warning shot – the first time he has started two consecutive games on the bench since his debut in 2005. Inigo Martinez was preferred and did well.
Ramos is close to that record but suddenly achieving it, and doing so as his club and country’s most important player has become far more difficult than he might have imagined.
