Sergio Ramos completes emotional transfer to Sevilla

By SABC Sport
5th September 2023

Sergio Ramos has sealed his homecoming with Sevilla, the club where he kick-started his illustrious football career.

Sergio Ramos, the seasoned 37-year-old defender, has sealed his homecoming with Sevilla, the club where he kick-started his illustrious football career.

After clinching a staggering 22 trophies with Real Madrid and an additional three with Paris Saint-Germain, Ramos, who has been a free agent since the summer, has made the poignant decision to turn down offers from Turkey and Saudi Arabia in favour of a reunion with his beloved Sevilla.

In a heartfelt statement on the club's Twitter page, Ramos remarked, "Today is an exceptionally emotional day for me. I'm finally returning home, eagerly anticipating the moment when I can proudly wear the Sevilla shirt and bear this crest on my chest once more."

Previously plying his trade with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, Ramos had remained without a club since his departure from the Ligue 1 champions during the summer transfer window.

Ramos had seemed destined for either Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad or Turkish side Besiktas, yet Sevilla swooped in with a last-minute offer, securing the triumphant homecoming of their prodigal son after an absence of 18 years.

Speaking prior to the finalization of his transfer, Ramos asserted, "It would have been futile to go anywhere else without returning here to play first. I believe it was a debt to my grandfather, my father, Sevillismo, to Puerta [the late Antonio Puerta, a former Sevilla player who passed away in 2007], and many other meaningful factors. I think the time has come. We can discuss the rest later."

Ramos had ascended through Sevilla's youth ranks, making his senior debut in February 2004 before embarking on his iconic journey to Real Madrid in 2005, where he amassed five La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies.

Currently languishing at the bottom of La Liga with three consecutive losses to their name, Sevilla seek to regain their footing. Nevertheless, fresh from securing their seventh UEFA Europa League triumph last season, they now prepare for a challenging UEFA Champions League group featuring Lens, PSV and Arsenal.