Sergio Ramos Defends Real Madrid After Cristiano Ronaldo's 'Family' Comments

Sergio Ramos has hit back at Cristiano Ronaldo after the former Real Madrid superstar said new club Juventus was different to Los Blancos because "it's like a family." 

The Real captain insisted he has always felt part of a family at the Santiago Bernabeu, while he added Madrid will continue to win trophies despite the departure of Ronaldo, per David Schiavone of Marca: 

"Here were have always felt like a family, so I don't know what [Ronaldo] was talking about. We have had lots of success, which is because we are a family and he was part of that family, which we have continued to have. It's obviously a negative when you lose a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, but we can continue to win and in Real Madrid's history many have come and gone, but Real Madrid continue to win.

"No one is above Real Madrid. Whatever happens, Real Madrid will continue to live on, and it was his choice to leave. The decisions are not mine to make, but the doors are always open to those that want to be part of Real Madrid. Losing Ronaldo was hard, but no player is above Real Madrid, and we still have the hunger to improve and win more titles. The mindset we have is more important than any individuals in the team."

Ronaldo's €100 million move to Juve has been the highlight of the summer transfer window.

His arrival at the Old Lady has been met with huge excitement in Turin, and the 33-year-old recently told Juventus TV (h/t AS) he has always dreamed of playing for the club: "Since I was a child, I looked at this team and I hoped one day I could play there. It's the biggest club in Italy and one of the best in the world, so it was an easy decision. It's different here, it's like a family."

As stated by Ramos, the party line since Ronaldo's departure seems to be that they can still compete with the best despite not having the Portugal captain in the team.

However, behind closed doors there must be some concern about what they have lost.

Ronaldo has been vital to Real winning four of the last five UEFA Champions Leagues, and his goals will be hard to replace given he averaged 50 per season in his nine campaigns at the Bernabeu.

Despite being linked with players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Eden Hazard, it does not look like Real are going to bring in a new superstar to replace Ronaldo.

In that case, the onus will be put on Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio and Isco to step up and fill the void left by Ronaldo.

All three are talented players, and they may flourish with the greater freedom they are likely to be afforded now Ronaldo is no longer in the squad.

But there are sure to be ramifications in the absence of the former Manchester United man, and they will become apparent once the La Liga season gets under way this weekend.