Account
Sergio Ramos: 'My Conscience Is Clear' After Mohamed Salah Injury
September 8, 2018
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has said his "conscience is clear" after his challenge on Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah ended the Egyptian's UEFA Champions League dream in May's final.
Ramos is set to captain Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday as his side face England in the UEFA Nations League, but he's not worried about any fan retribution ahead of the duel, per the Mirror's Adrian Kajumba:
"I'm not really concerned about that [reaction].
"I never wanted to hurt a colleague on the pitch, of course, so my conscience is really clear about what I did that night.
"I'm not going to be affected by that at all.
"I know the English fans will treat players as they deserve and I'm not worried about that in the slightest."
Salah was forced to withdraw from the final in Kiev, Ukraine, after only half an hour following a coming together with Ramos that left him with what Kajumba reported was a dislocated shoulder.
Ramos was vilified by Liverpool fans for the incident, which they believe effectively ending the Reds' hopes for an upset in the final. They lost 3-1.
The rivalry between the two was recently reignited when he was named as the Champions League's best defender for the 2017/18 season, and his subtle interaction with the Liverpool winger raised many eyebrows:
Liverpool liaison Tony Barrett questioned why the two were positioned so closely to one another given their recent history:
While Real were featuring in their third successive Champions League final, May's decider was a special occasion for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
The German has masterminded Liverpool's rise back to major European contention since coming to the helm in 2015, with Salah sitting as the jewel in his side.
Klopp also got into it with Ramos in the media following the game in Kiev, and Goal compiled the best barbs between the two:
Ramos has always maintained innocence in the part he played in Salah's injury despite appearing to wrench Salah's arm slightly before sending the Liverpool star tumbling.
Salah was a doubt for Egypt's 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign after he was largely responsible for firing his nation to their first finals since 1990. However, he featured in two of the Pharaohs' three games in Russia, scoring twice.
Some Merseysiders—and other Liverpool sympathisers—may show their dislike for the Spain and Real stalwart on Saturday, but Ramos is secure in his belief that he's free of blame for Salah's injury.