Sergio Ramos: “I can see myself being a club president, a sporting director or coach in the future”

Sergio Ramos will be expected to rise to the occasion on Tuesday evening when his PSG side take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16. The now 36-year-old has always saved his best performances for the biggest stage and will be hoping to prove that he still is an elite-level player. Ahead of the clash between the two European titans, Ramos gave an interview to UEFA where he talked about his move from Real Madrid to Paris and his aspirations for the future.

Moving from Madrid to Paris

“Leaving Real Madrid was obviously a very big change. My goal is always to continue winning. I won a lot with Real Madrid, but I thought this was a good opportunity for a change of scenery … to try to help a team like PSG. Everything was very difficult at first. You have to find a home and settle down, especially when you come with a family, with four kids. The process was a bit tough at first, but everything has worked out.”

Difficult start at PSG

“At first, having taken that leap, everything went wrong. I got injured, had a hard time recovering and adapting to the new system, to the new team and new coach. You begin to doubt whether or not you’ve done the right thing. But my career has been defined by consistency, perseverance and hard work. You keep fighting and it will give things more meaning in the future.”

Clash against Bayern

“When I think about Bayern, I think about the day I scored against them [in 2014]. Of course, we know they’re one of the best teams we could come up against, a huge challenge. But getting past them would be a very positive message to send out to the world. To win the Champions League, you have to win against the best and Bayern are among those year every year.”

Future Aspirations

“I invest a lot of time in football, and I’ve not had time for family. So when I retire I’ll spend two years dedicated to my children’s upbringing, experiencing everyday things which you can’t do alongside football, like skiing, taking the kids on holiday with no pressure, taking them to tennis classes – a normal life.

I’ll have to be more on top of my businesses, but ultimately what gives me adrenaline and fires me up is football. I’ve done it my whole life and it’s what I do best. I can see myself being a [club] president, a sporting director or coach.”

The full interview with UEFA can be accessed here.