Sergio Ramos Explains Goal Celebration in Spain's Romania Win After Yellow Card

Spain captain Sergio Ramos has explained his celebration following the team's win over Romania on Thursday.

Ramos was on the scoresheet in a thrilling 2-1 success for his side in Bucharest, making it five wins from five games for the Spanish in UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying Group F. 

The defender scored a penalty to put his team in front and picked up a booking for mimicking wearing glasses following the goal. After the match, the Real Madrid star said there was some confusion on the part of the match official, per AS (h/t Football Espana).

"I've already spoken to the referee," he said. "The celebration was to give the goal to my nephew, who also wears glasses, like me. It was to tell him there's nothing wrong with wearing glasses. It was directed at the camera. The referee understood, he apologised and regretted it."

Here is the penalty Ramos scored, followed by the celebration that saw him yellow-carded:

Per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, the defender attracted the ire of the Romania fans throughout the contest:

After Ramos gave Spain the lead, Paco Alcacer doubled their advantage just after half time, putting La Roja on course for a routine win.

However, the home side rallied, with Florin Andone's goal and a red card for Diego Llorente setting up an absorbing finish. Spain eventually needed goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to make a stunning save in stoppage time to ensure they emerged with three points.

Speaking about the performance, Ramos said his side need to be more clinical with their opportunities:

"We had a great first half but despite that, we couldn't get a bigger advantage. We have to learn to kill off these matches, so we don't get to the end of the match with the fear of losing three points.

"Winning away from home and reaching an objective gives us peace of mind, but we haven't done anything yet because we want to be top of the group and get 30 points. Now is to rest well and see if it's easier with our fans."

At the moment, Ramos is enjoying a purple patch for Spain in front of goal. His penalty on Thursday put him into the top 10 of the country's all-time top goalscorers:

ESPN FC put his goalscoring haul on the international stage into context:

Ramos is regarded as one of the best leaders in world football and it's testament to his strong mentality that he's been prolific from the penalty spot for Spain.

In terms of his defensive play, the 33-year-old hasn't enjoyed the most assured start to the season for Real Madrid and he struggled in the recent 2-2 draw with Villarreal. Los Blancos currently have five points from their first three La Liga games.