Sergio Ramos deserves a Ballon d’Or, says Luis Figo
Real Madrid legend Luis Figo believes club captain and defensive stalwart Sergio Ramos deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.
Ramos, 32, is currently Spain’s record outfield appearance maker and has helped Los Blancos clinch four Champions League titles during his career – skippering the side on three of those occasions.
Does Ramos deserve a Ballon d’Or? Five key things to know…
- Since joining from Sevilla in 2005 Ramos has been an integral Real player.
- The Spaniard has made 604 appearances for the club, scoring 84 goals and registering 39 assists.
- He has won 10 major trophies at club level as well as a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain.
- Last season he captained Real to a third successive Champions League title but was also a member of Spain’s disappointing World Cup campaign.
- However, Figo believes Ramos has achieved more than enough in his career to merit a Ballon d’Or.
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Figo, a former winner of the top individual prize himself, believes the seasoned centre-back has more than proven himself a worthy candidate to clinch the Ballon d’Or, but has suggested defenders are often overlooked for the coveted accolade.
“It’s clear that Sergio Ramos deserves to win the Ballon d’Or,” Figo explained in an interview with Marca.
“Being a defender is almost like being a goalkeeper, it’s a lot more difficult to win the award, but Cannavaro managed it.
“It depends on the moment, on the year, but for quality alone it’s obvious that Ramos should win it.”
Ramos has endured a difficult season at the Bernabeu, which has borne witness to three managerial changes in just eight months, with the club suffering elimination from the Champions League, Copa del Rey and La Liga title race.
Zinedine Zidane is back at the helm following the dismissal of Santiago Solari earlier this month and his side play host to Huesca this Sunday.
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Figo – ‘I was fortunate to work under Cruyff’
Figo plied his trade under the guidance of some of world football’s most revered coaches during his playing career, but he was quick to highlight the influence of one man in particular: Johan Cruyff, who he says changed his perception of the game during his Barcelona days.
“I have had the sheer good fortune to work with Cruyff,” he said.
“He was a master in terms of philosophy and great for me to learn from.”
The 46-year-old went on to talk about some of the other renowned managers he turned out for but struggled to pick a preference.
He continued: “Queiroz was my coach with the national team, but with other teams, I worked with Del Bosque and Mourinho, it’s difficult to choose between them as they were all important to me.”
