Sergio Ramos Took 90% Paycut To Return To Boyhood Club Sevilla

Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos has returned to La Liga, two years after leaving Spain for a brief Parisian expedition. The Spaniard, who spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), will ply his trade at his boyhood club Sevilla, with his official unveiling taking place on Monday (September 4).

Sergio Ramos’ Salary At Sevilla Revealed

Former Spain and Real Madrid skipper Ramos is one of the most recognizable soccer players in the world. He has won every major trophy in football, including four Champions Leagues, five La Liga titles, two European Championships, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Having a player of his caliber is a dream for many soccer clubs in the world. So, it was not a surprise that many clubs came knocking after he became a free agent in July.

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad and Turkish side Galatasaray were the frontrunners for Ramos’ services before Sevilla entered the scene. Galatasaray reportedly tabled an impressive $11.82 million per season for the veteran center-back. Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad, on the other hand, were prepared to pay him a whopping $21.50 million per season during his stay in the desert.

Instead of giving in to the temptations of the aforementioned offers, Ramos chose to return to Sevilla, who would pay him just over $2.15 million per season, 90% less than what he would have earned in Saudi. He has also signed a short-term deal with Sevilla, with his contract running out in June 2024.

Ramos’ apologetic message to Sevilla fans after returning to the club

During his 16-year spell with Real Madrid, Ramos had multiple altercations with Sevilla fans at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. He made some provocatory gestures toward the Sevilla faithful and received an earful of abuses in return. Now, returning to the club after 18 years, the Spain icon wants a clean slate and has extended an olive branch. Speaking at his first press conference after being presented as a Sevilla player on Monday, Ramos said:

“Hello Sevillistas, today is a very special day for me, very emotional. I’m finally coming home and I’m looking forward to the moment when I can feel the Sevilla shirt and the crest on my chest again.

“It’s been 18 years since I left, I think I made some mistakes and I would like to take this opportunity to apologize personally and ask for forgiveness from any Sevilla fan who was offended by the things and gestures I may have done at the time. I believe that we are all in the same boat, then we are all the same family, there are too many people on the outside for us to be fighting each other. So I just want to tell you that I’m just another player, I’m here to contribute, I’m here to push in the same direction.”

In his first spell, Ramos played 49 matches for Sevilla across competitions between 2003 and 2005, scoring thrice. His re-debut for Sevilla could come when the Andalusians take on Las Palmas after the international break on September 17.