Real Madrid Would Be Foolish to Deny Sergio Ramos the Contract He Deserves

The ball in the back of the net, Real Madrid one goal up, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos charged toward the corner flag. Los Blancos, through the Portuguese's penalty, had grabbed the advantage against Juventus, and a Champions League final berth was edging closer.

Side by side, arm in arm, Ronaldo and Ramos let go of primal roars toward those in the stands of the Bernabeu, the crowd taking in a telling image at that very instant. For there, with perhaps the club's most glittering pairing captured on their own, was Real Madrid embodied—both modern Real Madrid and traditional Real Madrid. 

Ronaldo, of course, is representative of the modern. He's the Galactico of all Galacticos, the personification of the club's quest for glamour and superstardom. Ramos, meanwhile, has come to embody the more traditional aspect of Real Madrid, what many would label "madridismo."

Defining "madridismo" can be difficult. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told John Carlin for White Angels: Beckham, Real Madrid and the New Football, that the term stood for values of "courage, leadership, desire, solidarity among the players and respect for your rivals." El Pais' Luis Gomez (h/t Goal) takes the definition a little further:

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The personal, paternalistic leadership style of Bernabeu instilled in the club a simple ethos that was resembled that of a religious order more than that of a political organization. The main elements consisted of a sense of austerity, hard work, humility and honesty. Real Madrid transmitted these values through its players onto the field, summarized in a term that has come to be known as senorio.

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More than anyone currently at Real Madrid, Ramos has come to epitomise that; he's the guy with his heart on his sleeve, the guy full of passion and all fire. He never knows when he's beaten, never takes a backward step. Some might say he is the traditional spirit of Real Madrid. 

Courage. Leadership. Desire. Hard work. 

Ramos.

Madridismo.

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Perhaps that's overblowing it, perhaps Ramos is simply more representative of it than his team-mates but not perfectly representative of it. Whatever, it's still significant. 

With football now big business, clubs are increasingly becoming detached from their historical identities, roots consistently severed in a footballing world full of marketplaces, naming rights, copyright and branding. The shift has been unavoidable given the game's global appeal, but it's imperative for clubs to protect their essence, their identity, when it's feasible to do so. Awarding Ramos the contract he deserves would be one such act; it could satisfy both the realists and the idealists. 

The Andalusian has won every trophy available to him at Real Madrid: La Liga (three times), the Champions League, the Copa del Rey (twice), the UEFA Super Cup, the Spanish Super Cup (twice) and the Club World Cup. He's a World Cup champion, a double European Championship winner and the owner of countless individual honours. At 29, he's among the game's finest central defenders and, given his position, still has five or more years left in the game. Keeping him satisfied at the Bernabeu is a no-brainer. And that's just the practical side; there's also the madridismo business that tugs at emotions, feelings and ideals. 

But somewhere in the Real Madrid conscience, a simple matter has become clouded and messy. 

On Sunday, AS reported that Ramos, angered by his club's failure to deny his link with Barcelona presidential candidate Jordi Majo, is pushing for a move away from the Spanish capital. It comes on the back his contract dispute with the club in January, when the defender rejected an extension that featured a pay cut—one that would have seen him earn less than a third of Ronaldo's annual wage. 

Ramos wants more. Ramos deserves more. 

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

If Real Madrid are hesitant to award him the deal he's worthy of, it's perhaps because of the Spaniard's somewhat mixed second half of the 2014-15 season. 

In this column in February, it was observed that the centre-back was putting together a very unconventional push for a new contract, as his form oscillated between extremes in an eight-game stretch. Included were four goals, two penalties conceded, a gift to Fernando Torres and some off-colour performances against Valencia, Cordoba and Getafe—"the higher stakes, the greater rewards, have accentuated the scope of the outcomes from his spontaneous game," I wrote at the time. 

And yet, Ramos' season was still a fine one. There were some hairy moments, yes—there always are with his passionate, fiery disposition. But he was still one of Carlo Ancelotti's best; a leader, a commander, an organiser the Italian compared with Paolo Maldini. "Is it coincidence that Atletico Madrid and Schalke both hit four past Casillas when Ramos was injured, or that four of Real's eight defeats in all competitions came about when the defender was sidelined or played out of position?" asked ESPN FC's Rob Train. 

Ramos certainly has his flaws, but his qualities far outweigh them. Fast, strong, committed and inspiring, he's the complete defender. And he's also a born winner—the sort of player whose intangibles are bordering on invaluable. It's hard to purchase a bubbling cocktail of nerve, conviction, hunger and spirit. It's hard to purchase madridismo. 

One senses this contract dispute will be resolved. Ramos is too valuable to be pushed toward the exits, and for Perez, the defender represents one of the president's finest transfer success stories; the only Spaniard signed in Perez's first stint at the helm.  

Thus, Ramos is more than just an outstanding footballer. He's representative of something else, something bigger. A spirit. An identity. A connection. 

Real Madrid need to protect that. 

Follow @TimDCollins