Messi took a bad knock but it was totally involuntary- Sergio Ramos
Barcelona have won three of the four El Clasico's this season.
Lionel Messi laid on the floor writhing in agony as referee Undiano Mallenco’s whistle brought the first half to an end in the second Clasico of the week. Almost an entire minute and a half had passed by the time Messi fell to the deck and the intense pace of the match did not as much allow us a replay of what had actually happened. That would change as the half-time break kicked in.
Slow-mo replays clearly focused on the duel between Ramos and Messi where both went for the ball, Ramos winning the duel but his trailing arm catching Messi in the face with him ending up with a bloodied mouth in the process.
“It should be a straight red”, declared Madrid based newspaper MARCA. But VAR was not even as much as consulted during the incident as Messi and Ramos squared up at each other’s faces trying to prove a point.
Second half followed and the incident would resurface online and in press conferences after the game once again. The Real Madrid skipper spoke after the game and clarified that he did not intend any of it.
“Messi took a bad knock but it was totally involuntary,” said Sergio Ramos. “There was nothing bad between us and it just happened.”
Gerard Pique, Ramos’ former partner with the national team and the heartbeat of Barcelona's tremendous defence last night also had words to spare on the issue.
"Leo had blood in his mouth," said Pique. "It was aggression."
"Intensity does not have to be measured. I get along great with the Real Madrid players. But when you go out to the field you defend your colours and the rivalry is what you get. But once the game is over, the cordiality is mutual, the players respect us very much," he said
While some people argued whether Ramos actually meant it, twitteratis and football journalists were quick to point out Ramos’ history with acts of aggression and a case of springing games to life by taking it in his own hands. And it is no surprise that Ramos has collected 25 red cards over his career and also amasses the most yellow cards in the history of La Liga.
ALSO READ
Manchester City looking for new left-back admits Pep Guardiola
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer jokes it will be strange if he is not at Old Trafford next season
Romelu Lukaku tips Luke Shaw to win Manchester United's Player of the Season award
Jose Mourinho, who now works as a pundit for beIN Sports also chimed in on the debate.
“I think in the first half, both teams when they had the ball, they did not hurt the opponent too much,” the former Manchester United boss said.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]“There was no intensity on the defensive actions, with everybody playing in a low-medium block. It was not the temperature of a derby, of a Clasico that can settle the title,” he added.
“I think Sergio Ramos’ action probably is coming from a player that knows the game has to change. And probably he does it with the intention of creating a different temperature for the second half, because the game until then was really soft, in my opinion.”
- Argentina announce squad for November international break; Lionel Messi will lead once again
- Who will replace Edu at Arsenal?
- Arsenal injury news ahead of Inter Milan clash in UCL; Martin Odegaard returns to training
- Super League Kerala: Calicut FC edge past Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC to qualify for finals
- Real Madrid vs AC Milan: Live streaming, TV channel, kick-off time & where to watch UEFA Champions League 2024-25
- Petr Kratky highlights this Mumbai City FC player's performance against Kerala Blasters
- Mohun Bagan not be fined by AFC after recognising their case as 'Event of Force Majeure'
- How much bonus did Vinicius Jr miss out on after losing Ballon d'Or 2024 award?
- Mats Hummels' girlfriend: Meet Nicola Cavanis, her job, Instagram & more
- Ballon d'Or 2024: List of all award winners
- FC Goa's Manolo Marquez outlines competitiveness of ISL ahead of Punjab FC clash
- Top five all-time top scorers for Indian football team
- ISL 2024-25: Updated injury & suspension list
- ISL 2024-25: Gurmeet Singh, Subhasish Bose garrison Matchweek 7 Team of the Week defence
- ISL 2024-25: Top five Indian players from Matchweek 7