'A history of violence': Catalan media demonise Sergio Ramos
La Vanguardia, a Catalan newspaper that normally pays little attention to sport, has run a polemic story on its front page covering the Madrid captain's disciplinary record.
The furore surrounding Sergio Ramos continues in the Catalan media following his tussle in the Champions League final with Mohamad Salah, who had to leave the pitch due to a dislocated shoulder. So strong is the vitriol in Barcelona, that La Vanguardia, a newspaper that normally gives little attention to sport, has run a cover story on the Madrid captain.
Titled, "Sergio Ramos, a history of violence", the article explains that Ramos' actions in the Champions League final are nothing new; and that Salah is not the first player that has had to leave the field of play after an encounter with the Madrid man. It also higlights the international outrage that has resulted because of the incident.
Ramos has injured several players
The article claims that Ramos tried to take down Juventus' Dani Alves in a similar fashion as Salah in the Champions League final last year in Cardiff. It points out that aside from Salah, Ramos has injured Nacho Gonzáles of Levante, who was sidelined for six months, Fernando Torres in an incident in training for the national team, Celta Vigo's Gustavo Cabral, the Italian Riccardo Montolivo, and 17-year-old Álvaro Vadillo of Real Betis, who left the Bernebeu with a torn cruciate ligament.
It also recalls when Ramos frustratingly kicked Lionel Messi in the last minute of the game against Barcelona in the Camp Nou, when Madrid were down 5-0; and higlights that Ramos holds the more red cards in than any other player in La Liga, the Champions League and for Spain.
International media demonise Ramos over Salah incident
Aside from the Catalan media, the Egyptian media has demonised the Real Madrid player, branding him a "butcher" and calling for his exclusion from the World Cup. The German media have also called attenttion to his aggression against Liverpool keeper Loris Karius minutes before his major blunder that led to Karim Benzema's opening goal in the Champions League final.
Meanwhile, the platform change.org has collected more than 400,000 signatures for a petition to have Ramos sanctioned for seriously injuring Mohamad Salah.
