They said they didn’t get along, Sergio Ramos’s new friend at PSG, it’s not Mbappe

How many times was Sergio Ramos sent off for fouling Lionel Messi during El Clasico when they lined up for opposite teams for approximately 15 years? How many fights had to be broken up by officials with the tattooed defender as instigator? Anyone who remembers just how fiercely Ramos competed in those contests will be surprised that he now regards Messi as an asset.

The pair lined up together for the first time in 2021, at which time it was suggested that they did not get along, but Ramos admits to a deep respect for Messi's talents. According to the defender, it is easy to appreciate a fellow player when you have a common cause: “we are players who have the same objective, which is to win with Paris Saint-Germain.”

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Ramos believes that it is easy to decide whether it is better to play with Messi or against him, regarding him still as one of the most decisive players in the game. “It is much worse to have him against you,” concedes Ramos, “I suffered against him for many years.” This is easy to believe considering the number of times the defender had to resort to illegal play to stop him. 

Now it is not unusual to see the former rivals sharing a laugh in training or celebrating a goal together. Messi even shared penalty-taking duties with Ramos against Quevilly in pre-season. Both players suffered somewhat acrimonious departures from clubs with which they were synonymous, so perhaps that is what binds them in Paris.

Bromance aside, Ramos and Messi are pros

How will each react should PSG line up against Madrid or Barcelona in European competition? That remains to be seen. Perhaps old hostilities will be reawakened upon seeing the old enemy. Given the current picture of professionalism painted by both players, PSG fans can rest assured that the club comes first.