A big thanks to reader Jennifer, who volunteered to transcribe and translate Sergio Ramos’ appearance on Punto Pelota from May. I’ve divided the interview up into segments according to the videos I found on YouTube, so this is just the first part, about 20%, of the interview. How great is Sergio?
Just a note: all the comments in the text below are also Jennifer’s!
Josep Pedrerol: Are you in your best physical shape, or what?
Sergio Ramos: Well, I think that maybe after the injury I got at the end of the Confederations Cup, it was good to have those two months to stop, to be able to start from the beginning, and the truth is that emotionally, I’ve got more confidence, and physically as well. I’m going through a really good moment that I hope continues to go equally well for the World Cup.
JP: Are you going to win La Liga?
SR: We hope so, right? It’s clear that both teams are fighting for it and this has almost never been seen before, with the number of points that we have and nobody is mathematically the champion, but it’s clear that after the defeat against Barça at the Bernabéu, every match we’ve played has been like a final, and Real Madrid has responded to that. I think that the goal is to win La Liga and to hope that on Saturday the best team becomes the leader.
JP: And that’s Barcelona?
SR: Of course [massive amounts of sarcasm, obviously].
JP: Is it hard for you to say the name?
SR: No, no, not at all, it’s never been a problem, Barcelona.
JP: And you would never go to Barça?
SR: Definitely not. I think it would be impossible.
JP: Really.
SR: I think so, I think that – this is my fifth season with Real Madrid, and, God willing, I signed, with my eyes closed, that I would retire with this great club, and I think that nobody has the slightest doubt that a transfer to Barcelona would be impossible for me.
JP: But you are a sevillista (supporter of the club Sevilla)?
SR: Yes, yes, of course.
JP: It’s a good moment to remember, and to say that you are very much a supporter of Sevilla.
SR: Well, that’s just a coincidence too, it just so happens that with just a few match days left that Barcelona has a super complicated game while Sevilla is going through a really good moment right now and they’re practically playing… (he abandons this train of thought halfway through). It’s going to be a very complicated game.
[The interviewers talk about how people have been sending questions, and how to send your questions for Sergio, and the panel of people who are going to be participating in the interview. Nothing hugely interesting.]
JP: Now we’re going to look at some of your pictures, you can tell us about your life. You wanted to be a bullfighter, no?
SR: No, no, I wanted to be a footballer, it’s clear that in my pueblo… [interviewer interrupts, crosstalk] No, but it’s clear that they’ve always linked me with that world because it’s a sport that I’m passionate about, because from my birthplace, Camas, have come both Curro Romero and Paco Camino, who are two great figures in bullfighting, but also a lot of footballers, Monpaler, Redondo, Cápino, who are great footballers, and our pueblo is very proud of them.
JP: What’s up with your family? How’s the family? Proud of you?
SR: Súper bien, no? After everything that was said last year… Now we’re going through a pretty good time, things are really in our favor, we’re enjoying it, and more united than ever.
JP: Do they keep clippings of all the newspaper stories about you, all your television appearances?
SR: Yes, between my mother and my brother and my sister, they’re in charge of all that. Collecting them and keeping them and making sure that [in the future] I’ll have a good scrapbook of memories, of pictures. I think it’s really important.
JP: I’d imagine that the “revistas de corazón” (tabloids) don’t fit, if they’re keeping everything that’s published about you! [I don’t think they’d fit in his house, never mind a scrapbook!]
SR: Haha, no, not that sort of thing, but it’s true that I’m going through a much more tranquil period in my personal life and I’m more dedicated to my profession and to my family, which is what I’m really passionate about.
JP: Someone said to me, “Sergio Ramos really lost his head for awhile there.” I don’t know. How old are you?
SR: I just turned 24.
JP: And at 19 you went to Madrid.
SR: Yes, this is my fifth season here. I feel like, everyone makes mistakes at first, me most of all, and sometimes those mistakes help us learn. It’s true that I was not at my best last season, neither emotionally nor professionally, and when all is said and done, everything that’s happened has allowed me to learn, to get back up and to be even stronger today.
JP: Who gives you the best advice? Who do you listen to the most?
SR: My father and my brother, who have always been on my side. If I have anyone to thank, I’d have to thank them, because what I am today would have been practically impossible without them.
JP: Just as important as family – friends. You were good friends with Antonio Puerta.
SR: Yes. We spent many years together, and we had the misfortune of losing him… and it hit us really hard. We grew up together in the cantera of Sevilla, we spent many years together as part of la selección and the youth teams of Sevilla, and the truth is that all of this made us really value our true friendships a lot more, they’re very few and we have to take care of them.
JP: Radio Macandé wrote a really beautiful song, dedicated to Antonio Puerta…
[They play the song “Una luz se apaga” (A light goes out). As much as I like the song, and Radio Macandé, and that people aren’t forgetting about Antonio, this was kind of heart-wrenching and I thought it was a bit harsh to inflict it on Sergio for the sake of an interview.]
JP: Football has allowed you to meet a lot of people, no?
SR: That’s the really beautiful thing about sports in general, but football in particular, that it also serves to unite people and that’s just… marvellous, no? And you have to take advantage of that.
JP: How is Antonio’s family? Are they doing okay?
SR: Well, I think they were hit really hard by it, and all of us have tried to support them, but these moments are infinite – there’s hardly any consolation that you can give to a family who have lost a son at such a young age, and with such a powerful future like Antonio had.
JP: We talk sometimes about people who basically live in a bubble, who don’t know what’s going on in the world, but then there’s footballers like you, who participate with NGOs, in your case, a foundation which helps children with Down’s Syndrome, does that give you life?
SR: Of course, no? I think that above all you have to be a person, with a caring heart, to all the people who need it, whether they have Down’s Syndrome, cancer, or whatever sort of illness. In my case it’s true that I’ve worked with UNICEF and a lot of other foundations, especially Apascovi, for children with Down’s Syndrome. On Tuesday we’re having our third golf match, raising funds for the center. There’s been a great response from artists, celebrities, and athletes. Hopefully it continues to be successful.
JP: We’re seeing some pictures of you with the kids…
SR: Yes, that was the other day, at the center.
JP: How many kids are there?
SR: A little bit more than 400, and with the new center that we’ve built, which is nearly ready to open, they’ve got therapy rooms and other facilities.