Sergio Ramos reveals surprising reason why he is leaving Real Madrid

Real Madrid CF bid an emotional farewell to captain Sergio Ramos on Thursday, June 17. The tribute took place at Valdebebas, with club president Florentino Perez in attendance along with his board of directors. Ramos and his family were also present, but it was unfortunate that his teammates were either on their summer breaks or on international duty.

While Perez and Ramos both showered each other with kind words and warm recollections of the what Ramos achieved throughout his 16-year career with Los Blancos, Those watching from their homes were waiting for more details about what led to the Spaniard's departure.

At his press conference after the farewell tribute, Ramos said that he planned to completely clear the air about what took place. "The first thing I want to say is that I never wanted to leave. I wanted to stay here. The club offered me the possibility of extending my contract, but because of Covid it was put on the back burner," he started.

"The club made me a one-year offer with a salary reduction. I have to say that there was no economic problem. I wanted two years and peace of mind for me and my family," he continued, effectively slamming the rumours which stated that he was unwilling to take a pay cut like most of the squad.

"During the last talks, I accepted the one-year offer, but I was informed that it was no longer possible, that it had an expiration date and that I had not heard about it. The conditions have changed several times, on their part and on ours," he said, making the surprising revelation that he was unaware of an "expiration date" on the club's offer. It may be remembered that the extension was first put to the table way back in January, with no reported movement on either side for over five months.

"It got to a point where we had to make a decision but they never told me that the offer had an expiry date. It's understandable but it surprised me, that the offer had expired," he said, noting that his current contract expires on June 30, making it clear why he deemed it was now time to make a decision which turned out to be too late.

However, fans and pundits are confused as to why the club could not simply make a new offer if they really wanted their charismatic number 4 to stay. Ramos did not explain further, but numerous publications are raising questions about the veracity of the "expiration date" narrative.

Nevertheless, what's done is done, and Thursday's tribute made it clear that both sides have accepted the outcome and they are now focusing on cementing Ramos' legacy. During the farewell ceremony, all 22 of the trophies he won with the club were put on display, and a photo with Ramos and Perez among the trophies was shared by the club. Perhaps, it was a statement to show that the relationship remains strong between the two.

"My relationship with the president has always been good. Like a father and son in sporting terms. He is the one who brought me here and I'll never say a word against him," said Ramos, when members of the media pressed him about a possible rift.

Ramos also confirmed that his future is still undecided, saying that because he never wanted to leave, he did not really think about any other club. Now, he will be focusing on finding a new home before the next season starts, but before leaving, he said that he will be back sooner or later.