🚨 Sergio Ramos on Vinicius Jr.’s reaction to being substituted against Roma and what it means to represent Real Madrid: “I know Vinicius very well. I knew him when he was a young boy arriving at Real Madrid, when people were questioning whether he was ready to play for this club. He has worked incredibly hard to become the player he is today. So when I criticise him, it’s not because I don’t appreciate him. It’s because I know what Real Madrid means. I remember something from my time as captain. There was a young player who was angry after being substituted. He came into the dressing room complaining about the coach. I asked him, ‘Did we win?’ He said, ‘Yes, but that’s not the point.’ I told him, ‘At Real Madrid, that is always the point.’ He looked at me like I hadn’t understood him. I said, ‘Listen, you can be angry. You can believe you deserved to stay on. But don’t make the rest of us feel like we’ve done something wrong by winning without you.’ That’s something young players have to learn. And Vinícius is not a young boy anymore. He’s one of the most important players at Real Madrid. With that comes responsibility. I watched what happened against Roma. Madrid were 3–1 down when he was substituted. He was unhappy. You could see it. Then the team fought back and won 4–3. For me, that should have been the story. The players who stayed on the pitch refused to accept defeat. The substitutes made their contributions. The whole team found a way to win. That’s Real Madrid. But now we’re discussing why Vinicius was taken off. I don’t like that. Because I remember what it was like being captain when the team was struggling. Sometimes you needed your best players to do something special. Sometimes you needed somebody to accept a difficult decision so another player could help. Nobody enjoyed sitting on the bench. Cristiano didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t enjoy it. Luka didn’t enjoy it. But you cannot have eleven players who believe the team stops functioning the moment they leave the pitch. That’s not a football club. And I would say something else to Vinícius. You have given the supporters beautiful memories. They have celebrated your goals, defended you when people criticised you, and stood beside you through difficult moments. But that doesn’t mean they cannot demand more from you. Real Madrid supporters have watched some of the greatest players in history wear that shirt. They know the difference between a player having a difficult match and a player forgetting what the shirt represents. If I were still in that dressing room, I would sit with Vinicius privately. I would tell him, ‘Brother, you are too important to this club to make everything about yourself.’ And if he told me he was angry because he wanted to help the team win, I would say, ‘Good. Then you should be the happiest person in this dressing room. Because the team won.’ That’s the mentality. The day Real Madrid starts worrying more about keeping one player happy than winning football matches, it stops being the Real Madrid I know. Vinicius has the quality to be remembered as one of the greats of this club. But the shirt was here before him. And it will still be here long after all of us.”

🚨 Rio Ferdinand on Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality after becoming one of Manchester United’s highest-paid players: “People talk about Cristiano’s wages at Manchester United. I remember what happened when the money started getting serious. Most young players get a big contract and you notice changes. New car. New clothes. Suddenly they’re arriving at training looking like they’ve completed football. With Cristiano, it was different. I once asked him, ‘Ronnie, you’ve got your new deal. What are you still trying to prove?’ ‘Rio, they are paying me more money now.’ ‘Yeah, that’s generally how a new contract works.’ ‘So I have to become a better player.’ I laughed because I thought he was joking. He wasn’t. You know what’s funny? For somebody earning that much, Cristiano never seemed particularly interested in enjoying it. Of course he had nice things. But sometimes I thought, ‘Ronnie, who exactly do you owe money?’ Because he trained like somebody was coming to collect a debt. And the only acceptable repayment was becoming the best footballer in the world. I remember training sessions when everybody was heading inside. Cristiano would still be practising. ‘Ronnie, you’ve beaten that poor defender fifteen times. Let him go home.’ ‘One more, Rio.’ And you knew what that meant. Another twenty minutes. He could score twice on Saturday and arrive on Monday annoyed about a missed chance. Wayne would say, ‘Mate, we won.’ ‘I know.’ ‘You scored twice.’ ‘I know.’ ‘So what’s the problem?’ ‘I should have scored three.’ I wondered whether something was wrong with him. Normal people achieve something, enjoy it, and eventually relax. Cristiano achieved something and immediately behaved like he’d fallen behind. Sir Alex understood him. You couldn’t develop that boy by asking him to become ordinary. I watched him go from a young winger doing stepovers to deciding the biggest matches in Europe. In 2008, we won the Premier League and Champions League. Cristiano scored 42 goals. Forty-two. You’d think he’d say, ‘Right, I’ve done it.’ Not Cristiano. He wanted the Ballon d’Or. Then another. Then to win everything again. I don’t criticise footballers for earning enormous salaries. But getting paid like a superstar and performing like one aren’t the same. With Cristiano, the contract never became the achievement. It became another reason to work. 🗣️ Ian Wright: ‘So Ronaldo justified every penny Manchester United paid him?’ 🗣️ Rio: ‘Every penny?’ I’d have loved to hear the club’s accountants negotiating with him. ‘Cristiano, we’re increasing your wages.’ ‘Good.’ ‘Anything else?’ ‘Yes. I want to win the Champions League.’ ‘Cristiano, we’re discussing your contract.’ ‘And I’m discussing why you should pay me.’ That’s how his mind worked. People underestimate how unusual that mentality is. You’re young, famous and wealthy. Nobody’s forcing you to practise free kicks when you could be doing almost anything else. Cristiano kept choosing football. Again and again. So when people dismiss his achievements, I struggle to understand it. You don’t have to believe he’s the greatest ever. But appreciate what it takes to remain that obsessed when you have every reason to relax. Some footballers sign huge contracts and spend years reminding everybody how much they’re worth. Cristiano spent those years making sure nobody could question it. At United, we didn’t respect him because of what he earned. We respected what he did to earn it. That’s why I laugh when somebody says money changed Cristiano Ronaldo. Of course it changed his life. But the more he earned, the more he behaved like he owed somebody. And looking at his career, I think he’s finally paid that debt.”