LIGUE 1
PSG’s Sergio Ramos: “Madrid is Madrid”
The veteran PSG defender reflected on his life in the city of his former employer, comparing his time in the French capital.
“I’m in love with Madrid.” This is how Sergio Ramos introduces himself in an interview with Esquire magazine where he talks, in particular, about one of his favourite topics, fashion. But his words also reveal a certain nostalgia for his days wearing white.
Ramos reflects: Madrid to Paris
The footballer landed in the Spanish capital when he was barely 19 years old, leaving behind his time at home club Sevilla, and what followed was 16 years full of success, both with Real Madrid and with the national team, until he left for Paris.
“When you arrive so young, everything happens very quickly. You have to settle in and adjust to a new city while training, competing and getting used to a new club and changing room. In my case, everything was very easy, thanks mainly to my family, who accompanied me and helped me in everything from the beginning,” he explains.
“I remember that the Paseo de la Castellana impressed me,” he says, referring to the huge street that runs through the heart of Madrid. “When I arrived it was already a big city and now it’s even more so. What hasn’t changed is the atmosphere, that open and special city. And that is lived and breathed everywhere. I am a great lover of Madrid.” It’s a city that he defines in three words: “Open, inclusive and cultural.”
Now, from Paris, he compares the two capitals.
“The two are similar in that grandeur, that feeling of a city with history, with a lot of life, with very diverse neighbourhoods and areas. And both are cities very rich in culture.
“Paris is a city that has it all and its people have made me feel at home ever since I arrived. On the other hand, obviously, Madrid is Madrid and I love it for its atmosphere, the museums, restaurants… But, above all, for the people, family and friends over all these years,” he says nostalgically.
“I still have my house in Madrid, so when the schedule allows it, I go from time to time with my family or with my friends. In any case, we are talking about two of the most important and beautiful cities in the world,” he adds.
Ramos’ fashion passion
Ramos is also a keen follower of fashion. A trend setter some would even argue. And his looks are always sure to get tongues wagging, a topic that he also talks about in the conversation with the magazine.
“Fashion is the way to say ‘here I am’, to express your personality and reflect how you feel.
“I remember that at the beginning, when I began to be known, I would return to Seville with my capri pants on and they would ask me if I had outgrown them,” he laughs. “Then, a couple of years later, everyone was wearing them just as short as me! However, that happened before. Now, thanks to new technologies and social media, information has become global and everyone has access to current trends,” he adds.
“Let people dress how they want. The important thing is not so much to be daring but to know how to take the clothes or accessories to your terrain. Give them your touch, your flow,” continue.
The Sevillian also makes a list of daily essentials : “Rings, some watches, slippers, my hyperbaric chamber and, of course, my family. Without these basics I’m not going anywhere.”
Ramos forgetting his sporting success
Something that stands out from the interview with Ramos is that he says he hasn’t enjoyed his successes thus far.
“I don’t think I’ve ever taken the necessary time to savour the victories. After each season I try to reset, ‘forget’ in a sense, and start from scratch.
“The day I stop for good, maybe I’ll enjoy it suddenly, but in the meantime I plan to keep fighting, learning and winning. The ambition and the hope of continuing to add titles to my list of wins are what get me going every morning,” he concludes.