Previous Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos asked Spanish FA head Luis Rubiales to assist gain Ballon d’Or in 2019 – report

The then-Genuine Madrid captain reportedly left a number of voice messages on Rubiales’ phone, starting in 2018, explaining why he felt he deserved football’s most prestigious individual award and asking for enable.

El Confidencial strategy to release the audio recordings online on Friday, but excerpts are currently available.

In one of the messages, Ramos reported: “I would be grateful to you all my life. Not only for me, but also simply because I believe that Spanish soccer warrants it very substantially, I deliver you a hug.”

Rubiales responded to Ramos’ requests positively, expressing he would do all he could to help but in the finish Rubiales’ assistance was not more than enough to get him in excess of the line.

It must be pointed out that at the time Ramos was nonetheless the captain of Spain, and therefore Rubiales’ marriage with Ramos was of paramount great importance.

In the finish, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi won his history sixth Ballon d’Or (he has because added a seventh), edging out Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.

In point, Ramos was not amid the top rated 30 players named by France Football as nominees for the award with his Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric also remarkably snubbed.

By December 2019, when the Ballon d’Or was awarded, Ramos was achieving the finish of a glittering career with Serious Madrid, in the course of which he gained 5 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues among the a complete haul of 22 trophies. Ramos had also played a critical job in Spain’s historic three-peat of international trophies, starting all three of the finals of Euro 2008, the 2010 Environment Cup and Euro 2012.

Ramos was hoping to come to be the first Spanish Ballon d’Or winner considering that Luis Suarez (he of Inter Milan, not Liverpool) in 1960.

Nevertheless, 2019 was not a particularly fantastic yr for Ramos or Madrid, with the most noteworthy incident being his deliberate earning of a yellow card in the initially leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie towards Ajax. Ramos was suspended for the next leg and pressured to look at on as his teammates – the reigning a few times European champions – had been dismantled 4-1 at the Bernabeu. To make issues even worse, Ramos was filming a documentary in the stands, an act for which he was greatly criticised later on.

Ramos has subsequently swapped Madrid for Paris, joining PSG on a free of charge transfer previous summer. With injuries plaguing his to start with year in Ligue 1, it would seem considerably unlikely that Ramos will at any time get his Ballon d’Or.