Sergio Ramos in furious row with Real Madrid star in first clash against ex-club

23 October 2023 , 10:37

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Sergio Ramos clashes with Antonio Rudiger (Image: CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)

Sergio Ramos was involved in a bust-up with Antonio Rudiger as he faced Real Madrid for the first time since leaving the club in 2021.

Ramos spent 16 years at Real where he lifted four Champions Leagues and five La Liga titles, before leaving to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. After two seasons in the French capital, Ramos returned to Spain to rejoin boyhood Sevilla and he faced Real for the first time since his departure on Saturday.

During the game, Ramos clashed with Rudiger towards the end of the first-half. The pair ended up getting in each other's faces and Ramos proceeded to grab Rudiger's cheeks before other players intervened.

The feisty clash saw seven yellow cards handed out, but Ramos and Rudiger did share an embrace once the final whistle blew as they put their differences aside. Sevilla took the lead in the second half thanks to a David Alaba own goal, before Dani Carvajal scored an equaliser just four minutes later.

Neither side was able to find a winner and Real remain top of La Liga, while Sevilla now sit 13th. Speaking before the match, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti paid tribute to Ramos and claimed he would not have his current job if it were not for the veteran defender.

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"I'd love to see [Ramos] and say hello," Ancelotti said. "I have affection for all the players I've had, but above all I have special affection for him.

"If I'm here today it's because of Sergio Ramos. If he hadn't scored the goal in the [ Champions League ] final, I probably wouldn't be here. For that, and for everything he did for this club, everybody has a lot of affection for him...

"He'll play well for sure. Let's hope he doesn't score but if he does, he can [celebrate] however he wants!" Real did have two first-half goals controversially ruled out by the referee, but Ancelotti refused to criticise the official in order to avoid getting punished by La Liga.

He initially said the referee had 'got everything right', but later told Real Madrid TV he was being sarcastic. "Irony is the only way, because if I speak my mind, I would miss a lot of games," he said.

"What I like the most is to sit on the bench for Real Madrid games, so to avoid suspensions, I don't say what I think. We started well but we didn't take our chances and Sevilla upped the intensity and were a bit better."

Matthew Cooper