Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has admitted that he wanted to try a Panenka penalty in the Super Cup final victory over Atlético Madrid, but he didn’t trust his injured ankle to be able to pull it off.
Ramos picked up the knock during Sunday’s game but managed to battle through the pain to complete the match, which went to penalties after the two Madrid sides played out a dramatic 0-0 draw.
It was Ramos who netted the winning penalty during the shootout, but he confessed (via Marca) that he actually wanted to steal the show with one of his trademark Panenka penalties which he has made a habit out of pulling off.
“I always take the fourth penalty due to superstition, not because it had been calculated that I’d take the winning penalty,” Ramos said.
“I had planned on taking a Panenka penalty, but I didn’t have the ankle to do lots of little steps. My ankle is a bit f****d.
“I was a bit scared and, as time passed, it seized up and hurt more. But once you’re in the game and know there’s so much to play for, you forget the pain. But now it’s a bit f****d and let’s hope it doesn’t take much time to recover.”
The ankle did not prevent Ramos from winning yet another trophy for Real. His tally now sits at 21 honours, and he admitted that he plans to best the record of 23 which was set by Francisco Gento between 1953 and 1971.
“I’m older now and I’m very patient,” he said. “On a personal level, it’s a special day for me. When [trophies] come in the latter years [of your career], you see it in a different way.
“It’s always a challenge that I’m two trophies behind overtaking the player with the most in history and let’s hope I can do it.
“Awards demonstrate [the club’s success] more than words. It’s the biggest and most successful club in the world for a reason and it’s because it’s won throughout its history, generation after generation. This is why Real Madrid is so big.”
