WORLD CUP
Ramos: "It feels like a funeral and the World Cup starts tomorrow"
Sergio Ramos was keen to finish the press conference and forget about the mess with Julen Lopetegui before the World Cup kicks off for them against Portugal.
Sergio Ramos, the captain of Real Madrid and Spain's national team, appeared with Fernando Hierro just a day after Julen Lopetegui was sacked as the coach of the side. It is also just one day until Spain open their World Cup with a game against Portugal.
How have these two days been? Did you ask for Lopetegui to stay? "You have to turn the page as soon as possible. They haven't been pleasent moments. Julen was part of everything in this World Cup, the qualifying, regardless of anything, Spain have to go above everything. The sooner we focus on the World Cup, the better. There are few people better that Fernando Hierro to cover in Julen's absence. Fernando was a great player that we all admired that we know well and is the most ideal. I hope that we can have a team with the same dreams, this can't distract us."
Did you know there were negotiations? "When you're the captain you know more of the story in different situations. We can opine but you have to leave the decisions to others. When there are institutional decisions, we prefer to keep at the margins. Putting your finger in the wound is not ideal, know that the World Cup starts tomorrow, that tomorrow we have a massive game against Portugal and I hope we start on the right foot. The sooner we foget about this, the better."
Crisis over Lopetegui: "You can't put yourself above the country."
The mess in the national team: "It's not up to us to put a measure on it. They are decisions that don't have anything to do with us and the directors have to decide as they have more power than the players. We can only do things on the field, that is where we do our talking. I don't know if Rubiales was wrong or not. After, they'll hear more opinions. We prefere to not talk about the subject. If we don't talk anymore about this, it's for the better."
Lack of respect for Ramos: "I am very calm. I have a very calm conscience. Some people want to be more popular but I won't waste time or name them. Those who have doubts look at their resumé. I would like to finish this press conference with a smile because it feels like we are at a funeral and tomorrow the World Cup starts."
