French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Thursday announced the signing of Spanish defender Sergio Ramos.

Hailing from Camas, Spain, Sergio made his professional debut for Sevilla FC in the 2003-04 season after emerging from the club’s youth academy. A versatile defender capable of playing in the centre or on the right side, he joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2005.

“I am very happy to join Paris Saint-Germain,” Sergio Ramos revealed after signing his contract, in an official release issued by PSG.

“This is a big change in my life, a new challenge and it’s a day I will never forget. I am very proud to be a part of this ambitious project, to be a part of this squad with so many great players. Paris Saint-Germain is a club that has already proven itself at the highest level. I want to continue to grow and improve at Paris and help the team to win as many trophies as possible,” he added.

El mejor lugar para seguir soñando, el mejor club para seguir ganando. Vamos a luchar con todo y por todo. Allez @PSG_espanol!#IciCestParis #WeAreParis pic.twitter.com/8ZcPCBuyMs

— Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos) July 8, 2021

Over the next 16 seasons with Los Merengues, Sergio Ramos became one of the very best defenders in the world, scoring 101 goals in 671 matches in the Spanish capital.

Captain of Real Madrid between 2015 and 2021, he helped his side win four UEFA Champions Leagues between 2014 and 2018 and five Liga crowns (2007, 2008, 2012, 2017, and 2020).

With the Spanish national team, Sergio Ramos won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and two UEFA Euros in 2008 and 2012. A regular captain of La Roja, he is the most-capped Spanish player (and European player) of all time with 180 appearances for his national team (23 goals).

Ranked sixth in the 2017 Ballon d’Or France Football, Sergio Ramos has received numerous individual honours for his performances. He has twice been named UEFA Defender of the Year (2017 and 2018), and has featured no less than 11 times in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI between 2008 and 2020, and was also named in the FIFA World Cup 2010 Team of the Tournament.

Days after Sergio Ramos’ departure from Real Madrid, which marked an end to a 16-year-long stint at the Los Blancos, the defender stumbled upon a rare encounter on social media.

Challenging Ramos was none other than Brazilian and former Barcelona footballer Ronaldinho, who tried to remind the defender of a sight from globe’s most-anticipated footballing fixture the El Clasico. 

After clashing on the field in past and this was probably the first time the action shifted to the virtual world.   

Ronaldinho was the one, who began the banter, by sharing an old picture of him tussling in the field with the Spaniard from a Clasico encounter.

Hey @SergioRamos – remember this night?! pic.twitter.com/yZmnwGM56z

— Ronaldinho Gaúcho (@10Ronaldinho) June 18, 2021

Ramos was quick to respond to Ronaldinho’s poke against him and responded back with a photo, showing Madrid players celebrating La Liga title triumph. 

I do… but this one a few months later was way better @10Ronaldinho pic.twitter.com/RQ8ft4Kn4X

— Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos) June 18, 2021

End of an era 

Ramos left Madrid last week ending a 16-year, silverware-laden era with the Spanish side. The defender, who recently turned 35 and had a season littered with injuries which led to him being left out of Spain’s Euro 2020 squad, but said he wants to keep proving himself at the highest level. 

Gamers Without Borders

Meanwhile, both the stars also renewed their rivalry in a head-to-head contest on EA SPORTS FIFA 21 as part of international charity esports festival, Gamers Without Borders. 

As per reports it is a $10 million online gaming extravaganza. The encounter was streamed live Gamers Without Borders’ Facebook, YouTube and Twitch streams earlier this afternoon in India. 

MADRID: Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach on Tuesday (June 1), re-joining the club from Everton, after agreeing a three-year deal at the Bernabeu.

The Italian was previously in charge of Real between 2013 and 2015, and replaces Zinedine Zidane, who left the La Liga club last month.

“While I have enjoyed being at Everton I have been presented with an unexpected opportunity which I believe is the right move for me and my family at this time,” Ancelotti said in a statement on the Everton website. 

Ancelotti has one of the most-decorated CVs in world football and won the Champions League with Real in 2014, helping the Spaniards to their fabled ‘Decima’ (10th) European crown, before being sacked 12 months later.

The 61-year-old is one of three coaches, along with former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley and Zidane, to have won the European Cup or Champions League on three occasions, having also led AC Milan to glory in 2003 and 2007.

His honours list includes league titles in four different countries at Milan, Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich over a 26-year managerial career. 

“Carlo Ancelotti will be the new first team coach for the next three seasons,” a brief Real Madrid statement read.

Ancelotti will sign his contract and be presented to the media on Wednesday.

The move comes following Zidane’s decision to step down five days after his team were pipped to the La Liga title by city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Real finished two points behind Atletico, were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals by eventual winners Chelsea and suffered a humiliating Copa del Rey exit to third division minnows Alcoyano during a rare trophy-less season.

Zidane subsequently hit out at the club in an open letter, saying: “I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term.” It brought an end to a second spell in charge of the club that was fraught with tension.

The end of the Frenchman’s tenure was surrounded by questions over his reliance on players the wrong side of 30 like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema and his willingness to oversee the rebuild the club felt it needed.

Ancelotti was considered something of a coup when Everton announced his appointment on a four-and-a-half year contract in December 2019, and he guided the club to a 12th-place Premier League finish in his first season.

The Italian then oversaw an impressive summer transfer window, signing Colombian star James Rodriguez from Real Madrid as well as the likes of Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey, and Everton started the campaign in superb form, winning their first seven games in all competitions. 

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has told his players he will leave the La Liga club at the end of the season, Spanish media reported late on Saturday. Radio station Onda Cero said Zidane informed the players about his decision before last weekend’s 2-2 La Liga draw at home with Sevilla where Real missed the chance to top the table. Meanwhile, Spanish newspaper Marca said he addressed the team on May 8, a day before that game.

Real were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by third-tier Alcoyano in January and were defeated comfortably by Chelsea in their Champions League semi-final. They trail La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid by two points with two games left and have an outside chance of retaining the title.

When asked earlier on Saturday whether he would remain in charge next season, Zidane did not give any guarantees.

“I don’t know what’ll happen. I’m here, we’re playing tomorrow and next week but I don’t know what happens after that because this is Real Madrid,” he told a news conference ahead of the team’s next tie against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Zidane left the club in 2018 just after winning a third consecutive Champions League crown, only to return 10 months later. He also quit the club as a player in 2006 when he retired from playing.

Real host Villarreal on May 23 in the final game of the La Liga season.

Gabriele Gravina, President of the Italian Football Association (FIGC) on Monday said that Juventus will be banned from Serie A next season if they still choose to remain a part of the breakaway and rebel European Super League.

Nine of the 12 founding clubs of the European Super League have taken a step back and they have confirmed their commitment to UEFA. The three remaining clubs — Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona — had refused to get reintegrated into UEFA and as a result, they face further punishment.

“The rules are clear. If Juventus is still part of the Super League when it enters next season, it can’t participate in Serie A,” Gabriele Gravina told Radio Kiss Kiss, as reported by Goal.com.

“I would be sorry for the fans but rules are rules and they apply to everyone. I hope this holdout ends soon,” he added.

Gravina also said that he is eager to ensure that Juventus are not banned in Serie A. “They are simple principles, affirmed by the Olympic Charter and then reported by the statutes of national and international federations,” Gravina told Radio Anch’io Sport.

“They are clear principles, in which the exclusivity of sport management is established. I hope that this dispute can be resolved as soon as possible. We are all a bit tired of this tug-of-war between UEFA and these three clubs. I hope to be able to mediate between Juventus and UEFA,” he added.

Talking further, Gravina said: “It’s not good for international football, Italian football, Juventus. We have already said that the football association respects the rules. The rules foresee the non-participation in our championship if the principles established by the federation and UEFA are not accepted.”

The announcement to form a breakaway European Super League made by 12 founding clubs including Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, was met with widespread criticism.

As a result, all the six Premier League clubs, involved in the proposed European Super League, withdrew from the competition.

LONDON: Goals by Timo Werner and Mason Mount sent Chelsea into a Champions League final showdown with Manchester City as they outclassed Real Madrid to win 2-0 for a 3-1 aggregate triumph at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

German striker Werner, who has endured a stuttering first season at Chelsea, put them in control when he nodded in one of the easiest goals of his career in the 28th minute after fellow German Kai Havertz had struck the bar.

Thirteen-times European champions Real, who had come through each of their last three Champions League semi-final ties, had been second best for much last week`s first leg which ended 1-1.

Even with talisman Sergio Ramos back after missing the home leg they were outplayed by Thomas Tuchel`s side again as the German continued his stunning impact in west London to become the first coach to reach back to back Champions League finals with different clubs.

Chelsea should have killed the game as they created, and wasted, a sackload of chances in a dazzling second-half display. But Mount got the party started in earnest when he converted from close range in the 86th minute to become the second-youngest English player to score in a Champions League semi-final after Wayne Rooney.

The final in Istanbul will be the second all-English champions League final in three seasons and gives Tuchel, who has transformed Chelsea since replacing Frank Lampard in January, the chance to make up for last season when his Paris St Germain side lost to Bayern Munich.

“We deserved to win. The first half was difficult, they had a lot of possession and made us suffer,” Tuchel said.

“In the second half we could have scored so much earlier, so much more to be safe, but now is no time for criticism. It is a fantastic achievement and big congratulations to the team. It is not done yet, we want to go all the way, we arrive in Istanbul to win.”

Real made a confident enough start in their famous white shirts on a night that felt more like January than May with a hailstorm erupting shortly before kickoff.

MORE INCISIVE

Home keeper Edouard Mendy made a couple of routine early saves from Toni Kroos and Luka Modric but it was Chelsea whose work was more incisive. Mason Mount, Havertz and Werner looked a real handful for Real`s lumbering defence while N`Golo Kante, outstanding last week, again pulled the strings for Chelsea in midfield.

The hosts should have taken the lead when Werner tapped in Ben Chilwell`s low cross but the German had strayed offside.

Within the space of a pivotal minute, Chelsea seized control as first Mendy produced a stunning one-handed save in the 27th minute to prevent Karim Benzema`s curling shot creeping inside the post. Then, at the other end, Kante advanced and played a one-two with Werner before sliding a pass to Havertz who casually dinked a lob over Thibaut Courtois.

Time seemed to freeze as the ball floated down and bounced off the crossbar, leaving Werner to nod in to an empty net — his first Champions League goal in open play since September 2019.
Real needed a quick response and almost got one with Benzema`s header pushed over by a flying Mendy.

Chelsea might have expected a second-half onslaught from Zinedine Zidane`s side. Instead they turned the screw.

Havertz, given the nod over Christian Pulisic, headed against the crossbar then Mount blazed a glorious chance over after a flick by Werner left him with only Courtois to beat.

When Havertz went through on goal shortly afterwards but shot straight at Courtois, Tuchel was apoplectic, turning the air blue at Chelsea`s failure to kill off the Spanish side.

Real, with former Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard a peripheral figure and Luka Modric fading, offered precious little.

Chelsea could finally relax when Kante drove forward yet again and picked out Pulisic who bided his time before sliding the ball across for Mount to score.

“We should have had about five, but the most important thing is that we won,” Mount said.