Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos joins 15-season Bernabéu club
The Real Madrid captain has equalled Guti by completing a decade and half of service but needs three more to match all-time leaders Gento and Manolo Sanchís.
Sergio Ramos is about to embark on his 15th season at Real Madrid, elevating him into a select group of players to have reached the landmark at the Bernabéu.
After signing for Madrid in 2005 from Sevilla for a fee of 27 million euros, Ramos has been captain of the side since 2015 and led Real through the historic run of three consecutive Champions League titles. In total, Ramos has won 20 trophies with Madrid and could well become the most decorated player in the club’s history ahead of Manolo Sanchís (21) and Paco Gento (23).
Those two players also hold the record for the most campaigns played at Real Madrid with 18 apiece (Gento from 1953 to 1971 and Sanchís from 1983 to 2001). Ramos would need to play to the end of the 2022-23 season to match that mark, which is not inconceivable as the Spain captain is 33 years old and will almost certainly be offered a new contract when his current one expires in June 2021.
Will Ramos ever catch Gerardo Bedoya?
Next season, Ramos will join club legends Pirri (1964-80) José Antonio Camacho (1973-89), Raúl (1994-2010), Iker Casillas (1999-2015) and Miguel Ángel (1968-85), on 16 Bernabéu campaigns. Another season would put him level with Santillana (1971-88) and Chendo (1981-98), on 17.
In terms of appearances, Ramos is fifth on the all-time list with 607 games for Madrid to his name. He would need to stick around for quite some time to overtake all-time record holder Raúl (741 games), Iker Casillas (725) and Sanchís (710) but should catch Santillana (645) this season.
Remarkably for a defender, Ramos has bagged 85 goals for Madrid. As a contrast, striker Emiliano Butragueño (1983-1985), who is tenth on the all-time list, scored 171 times.
One area where Ramos stands alone (and in all likelihood probably always will) in his disciplinary record: the central defender has amassed 202 yellow cards and 25 reds during his career, a Liga record. However, he still has some way to go to beat the all-time mark set by Gerardo Bedoya, who was invited to take an early bath a staggering 46 times during his playing days.