Saturday's duel between Sevilla FC and Real Madrid is more than just another game for Sergio Ramos. The 37-year-old defender is set to face his former club for the first time since departing Real Madrid in 2021. He will do so donning the shirt of his boyhood club, Sevilla FC, for whom he made his LALIGA EA SPORTS debut almost two decades ago, back in 2004.
Ramos, who was born and raised in the province of Seville, took his first footballing steps at his hometown team Camas CF, before joining the Sevilla FC academy. Rising through the ranks alongside current Los Nervionenses captain Jesús Navas and the late Antonio Puerta, the defender gradually established himself in the first team's starting XI.
His performances at the back drew the attention of numerous clubs, among which was Real Madrid. Los Blancos even sent their then-director of football, Arrigo Sacchi, to monitor Ramos at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán during the 2004/05 campaign.
Little did they know that Ramos would be the man to end their title hopes with an extraordinary goal in a 2-2 draw between the two teams in May of 2005. The rising star unleashed a thunderous effort from distance following an indirect freekick to open the scoring, with this his third and final goal for Sevilla FC before joining Los Blancos in the summer of 2005.
"The goal is a reward for the effort of the players and a reflection of the sacrifice of many years in the youth categories," he said after that Sevilla FC vs Real Madrid game. "The truth is that it was a great goal. In any case, I'm happier about the result than the goal."
How Ramos became a Real Madrid legend
Ramos' transfer to Real Madrid took place when he was just 19 years of age, but he arrived with confidence and was happy to inherit the famous No.4 shirt that had belonged to Fernando Hierro before him.
"Ramos knows that being a defender at Real Madrid is a complicated challenge, as well as wearing this number, but he is a great footballer," president Florentino Pérez said at the player's official presentation.
"The fans of this club are used to spectacle, but they also want the best defenders in the world." And, this is what Ramos became at Real Madrid. The Spaniard won as many as 22 titles at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, where he broke a series of records, earned the captain's armband and became the player with the fourth-most appearances in the history of the club.
Returning to his boyhood club
Ramos parted ways with Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, when he joined Paris Saint-Germain. In his first season at the French club, PSG faced Los Blancos in the Champions League's round of 16, but Ramos was forced to miss out on both legs through injury. This means he has only faced Real Madrid twice in his career, both as a Sevilla FC player in the 2004/05 campaign, as he celebrated a 1-0 win at the Bernabéu and helped secure the aforementioned 2-2 draw on home soil.
Having return to the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán this summer, after two years in Paris, this Saturday's LALIGA EA SPORTS game is an extra special occasion for the experienced centre-back. He has participated in 35 total duels between Sevilla FC and Real Madrid, two for the Andalusians and 33 for the capital city side, scoring eight goals altogether in these contests.
This will be his first appearance in this fixture for Los Nervionenses since 2005, more than 18 years ago. It'll be a special moment for the Spaniard and his family, but also for Real Madrid supporters. Their former captain, the man who led Los Blancos' defence for so many years, will now face the club where he enjoyed so much glory and where he became one of the finest defenders in the history of football.
