The pros and cons of Sergio Ramos’ Real Madrid exit

Sergio Ramos is no longer Real Madrid‘s present, with the captain’s departure having finally been confirmed.

At 35 and after a poor campaign by his standards – and one plagued by physical problems – Ramos‘ story will continue to be written elsewhere. Now, Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid will plan for life after Ramos.

But, was the decision to let him leave the right one for the club to make? We’ve looked at the pros and cons of his departure

PROS

Chances for others

The No.4’s exit will allow other players to take on more senior roles in the side. Eder Militao and Nacho Fernandez were excellent last season in the final stretch in Ramos‘ absence, and David Alaba has arrived as well. Raphael Varane‘s continuity remains a doubt, but the Frenchman could become a leader of the side if he gets the chance

Losing a high salary

Real Madrid are saving a lot of money by offloading Ramos‘ wages. Gareth Bale is still on the books though, and they needed to lighten the load with interest in Kylian Mbappe not fading.

New leaders

After six years as captain and boss in the dressing room, it’s time for Ramos‘ place to be taken by someone else. The captain’s armband has now fallen to Marcelo, who has just a year left on his contract. Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric and even Thibaut Courtois will now have to step up.

No more soap operas

For months now, and even years, people had been talking about Ramos‘ contract situation. There was a lot of tension around it, from the president down to Zinedine Zidane and Ramos himself. That’s now over.

CONS

Losing a leader

Nobody knows Valdebebas quite like Ramos does. He has been the perfect captain for the club and he never let anybody get complacent or give anything less than 100 percent. The players, Marco Asensio included, have noted how much he’d be missed away from the pitch in Valdebebas’ daily life.

Ramos never gave up

Ramos‘ goal in Lisbon was a double positive. It avoided arguably Real Madrid‘s worst ever defeat and it opened an incredible rule over European football. He never gave up and never knew when he was beaten.

Fewer goals

What if Varane leaves?

Ramos always looked after himself physically and, despite his age, he was rarely too troubled by injuries until his last season. Now, though, if Varane does walk away too, there’s a huge gap at centre-back. With Varane free to speak to clubs from January 1, there’s a bit of uncertainty and nervousness around.

Source: marca.com