Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has warned that past glories have no part to play as they file out against an equally good side Juventus, in today’s UEFA Champions League final game which is scheduled to kick off at 7:45 (GMT +1).
Both finalists will battle for the ultimate crown in Cardiff, Wales, and football analysts believe La Madama have come very far as a side to reckon with in international football.
Founded about 115 years ago, Real Madrid has won 33 La Liga crowns and 11 UEFA Champions League trophies.
Meanwhile, Juve has held on to their title as the most successful Italian club, having won a total of 63 trophies more than any other club in the country.
Although they’ve won only two UEFA Champions League finals, The Old Lady are 6-time Serie A winners, a historical success which has turned to their birthright since the 2011-12 season.
No team has won the UEFA Champions League for consecutive seasons since its new format, yet Ramos says Madrid are destined to break the jinx.
“Our club and badge demand it,” he said at a press conference. “We have a distinct aura and our history speaks for itself, which is no accident.
The 31-year-old central defender continued: “We will do everything we can to bring the cup home, We don’t live on our past successes, we do everything we can to win on the pitch.
“We have a date with the history, but we must forget the records of each team,” the Spain national team captain continued.
“We have to think as if it were the first title we could ever win. We are very motivated and want to win our second in a row.
“I don’t live in the past, but our spirit forces us to fight until the very end and, until the referee blows his whistle, things can be changed,” said Ramos, who broke records in 2013 as the youngest Spanish player to reach 100 caps.
He showered praises on coach Zinedine Zidane, and expressed hopes for a memorable outing against Juventus.
“I have worked with [Zinedine] Zidane for a long time, and we are accustomed to finals. The coach is a Real icon and our bench is brilliant. I hope he stays for a long time, for us he is crucial,” said the former Sevilla player.
“We have played many finals, and this gets into the opponents heads. We’ll give everything on the field, we want to go out with a our heads held high.
Image: Sergio Ramos
“Both teams start at zero,” he argued against football analysts who believe Madrid has an edge over Juve and are favored to win in Cardiff, Wales. “Winning LaLiga doesn’t change anything, even though we finally did it.
“We are very pleased, the team is a unit and wants to win. It will be a tough game, but we start with a 50 percent chance of winning.”
Ramos made his international debut at the age of 18, and remains an indispensable tool in Madrid’s successful campaigns with 14 major honors.
He is also one of the highest goal-scoring defenders in La Liga.
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