UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE | ENGLAND 1-2 SPAIN
Sergio Ramos whistled at Wembley: "No one remembers the death threats to my family"
Spain's captain admitted that he would have liked a warmer reception by the Wembley crowd, who whistled him every time he touched the ball for injuring Mo Salah.
Spain captain Sergio Ramos spoke to reporters after last night's UEFA Nations League win at Wembley. The defender, who was subjected to jeers and whistles by England fans whenever he was on the ball during the match, admitted afterwards that he would have preferred a warmer reception.
Good performance. "I'm happy with how it turned out, as always, the team showed ambition and determination. All of that hard work pays off in the end. Preparing my body and mind for football is the only way I know to live my life. I feel comfortable in my role as captain for club and country - both are very important to me".
Expectations under Luis Enrique. "Very positive. It's never healthy to have to deal with constant changes - especially after what happened at the World Cup - not because it was a disaster but because we gave everything we had. Now a new era has begun with a new coach - one who has a lot of experience and who has won everything in the game. Tonight, we had a difficult game against a great national team, semi-finalists at the last World Cup and where better to beat them than at Wembley".
England fans jeer Ramos
You were whistled by England fans at Wembley who haven't forgotten how you injured Liverpool's Salah. "I try to block it out. You feel it, but it doesn't influence my game. Of course I would have preferred to have been given a different kind of reception because people remember one isolated incident in a final, but not the death threats my family received. My conscience is clear because I didn't set out to do any harm, it was a move with a fellow professional".
Lack of security at the back. "That's one of the risks that comes with the type of football we play; we have to open up the pitch and be precise with our passing but we will always run the risk of being caught out of position if we lose the ball".
Partner in central defence
Spain's first game following Piqué's decision to quit the national team. "He's a player who makes all the difference. We have to look at the future because we have young players pushing hard to come through. Nacho did well tonight, but it's true that Gerard did a really great job with our national team".
