Izuchukwu Okosi
Former Real Madrid and Spain defender Sergio Ramos on Monday sensationally returned to his first professional football club, Sevilla on a one-year contract with an option of an extension.
Ramos rebuffed a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian Pro League side Al Ittihad who were keen to pay the centre back an eye watering sum of £400,000 per week tax free and rather accepted a measly offer, in football terms, of £20,000 to sign for the multiple Europa League winners.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe 37-year-old veteran was a free agent after leaving Paris St Germain in June but has now returned to Sevilla 18 years after leaving to join Real Madrid.
Sevilla announced on their official website that Ramos had passed a medical on Monday morning before signing a 12-month contract later in the day.
The former Spanish international became a free agent after his two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired at the end of last season.
After signing his contract, Ramos left a video message to the Sevilla support.
“Today is a very special and exciting day for me. I’m finally back home, I’m looking forward to putting this shield back on my chest. It’s been 18 years since I left and I think I’ve made mistakes,” he said.
“I want to take the opportunity to apologise in person and ask for forgiveness from any Sevillista who has felt offended by things and gestures that I may have done at the time.
I think we are all in the same boat and we are all the same family.”
He continued: “I am one more, I come to add and I want to row in the same direction. I’m looking forward to meeting all of you. It wasn’t just a debt to myself, to my grandfather who made me a Sevilla fan, to my father.
“There was no point in taking another course and taking another direction that was not going back to my house. I will do my best to achieve the goals with the team. Very big greetings.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
