"Having Messi as a teammate is a privilege for me" - Former rival Sergio Ramos heaps praise on PSG superstar
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Sergio Ramos has heaped praise on his current teammate Lionel Messi.
The pair were rivals when they played in Spain, with Ramos representing Real Madrid and the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner playing for Barcelona. They were also involved in a few scuffles during various El Clasico clashes.
However, with both players playing for PSG now, they seem to be on the same page, as indicated by Ramos' comments. The pair were also seen celebrating a goal together during the Ligue 1 giants' pre-season tour of Japan ahead of the new season.
Speaking in an interview with ESPN (via Le10Sport) the Spanish defender was quoted as saying the following:
"Having Messi as a teammate is a privilege for me, I don't need to compliment him, he compliments himself with the game he plays. Everyone knows who he is. I hope he will continue like that."
Sergio Ramos told @SC_ESPN: “Having Messi as a teammate is privilege for me, i don’t need to praise him, he praises himself with the game he’s playing. Everyone knows who he is. Hopefully he will continue like this.” 🤝
🇪🇸 Sergio Ramos told @SC_ESPN: “Having Messi as a teammate is privilege for me, i don’t need to praise him, he praises himself with the game he’s playing. Everyone knows who he is. Hopefully he will continue like this.” 🤝 https://t.co/OTGlb5R1hN
Fans have had largely mixed reactions to the duo playing on the same side following their epic rivalry in Spain. It is worth mentioning that Messi and Ramos are the joint-highest appearance makers in El Clasico history. The duo have made 45 appearances each in one of football's most explosive fixtures.
The Argentine skipper is also the highest goalscorer in the fixture, having netted 26 times. He is eight goals clear of second-placed Alfredo Di Stefano and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both Ramos and Messi joined PSG on free transfers last summer. It was one of the biggest transfer windows in the club's history as they also added the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi.
The Parisian giants went on to reclaim the Ligue 1 title last season, though they fell short in the Coupe de France and the UEFA Champions League.
Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos both scored in PSG's win over Nantes
PSG secured a convincing 4-0 win over Nantes in the Trophee des Champions win on Sunday, July 31. Both Messi and Ramos were on the scoresheet, while Neymar Jr. netted a brace to secure Christophe Galtier's first trophy as the club's new manager.
Lionel Messi, Neymar and Sergio Ramos have all scored for PSG in the same match. Yeah, you read that correctly. https://t.co/mxG9WITs2m
Both Messi and Ramos are expected to have much better individual campaigns this time around. The Spanish defender had an injury-ridden 2021-22 season, which saw him make just 13 appearances for PSG across all competitions. He did, however, score twice along the way.
The Argentine, on the other hand, had a poor return in front of goal, scoring just 11 goals across all competitions. Only six of those goals were scored in Ligue 1, though he did lay out 15 assists in all competitions.
It is also worth mentioning that both players have entered the final year of their respective contracts with PSG.