After being rivals for years, Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos will now be teammates after both elected to end their lengthy and trophy-laden stints in La Liga to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free.
The pair have almost had their careers intertwined from a very young age and things regularly got intense whenever Barcelona and Real Madrid locked horns.
For the best part of 15 years in El Clasico fixtures, Ramos made it his mission to try and put Messi out of action by marking him with a degree of firmness to say the least.
The former Real Madrid skipper conjured up a whole host or horror tackles on the Argentine and was sent off for two of his many shockers on the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
One was a wild kick at him in a 5-0 hammering in 2010, before he lunged in two-footed on Messi seven years later.
No content with late challenges, Ramos also delivered plenty of cynical kicks and flailing arms to Messi, who did give plenty back.
In March 2019 at the Santiago Bernabeu, it got very spicy between the captains when Ramos intentionally elbowed Messi just before half-time.
The two squared up and angrily raised their heads towards one another before the referee and teammates intervened.
| 😡 |
Tempers flare just before half-time…
Will Ramos regret angering Messi? 👀
Barcelona lead Real Madrid 1-0 at the break!#ElClasico pic.twitter.com/Fp5OVzVAFF
— ELEVEN SPORTS UK (@ElevenSports_UK) March 2, 2019
| 😡 |
Tempers flare just before half-time…
Will Ramos regret angering Messi? 👀
Barcelona lead Real Madrid 1-0 at the break!#ElClasico pic.twitter.com/Fp5OVzVAFF
— ELEVEN SPORTS UK (@ElevenSports_UK) March 2, 2019
There’s certainly been no love lost on the pitch but at the same time, always a mutual respect between them.
“I like to play with the best players and Messi has been one of the best in the world,” Ramos once said in an interview with TNT Sports.
“I have always said that Messi will always have a role in my team.”
Both had emotional farewells this summer having seen their contracts expire at Real and Barca respectively, but will quickly turn their attentions to adding even more silverware to their collection in the French capital.
Still, someone probably ought to remind Ramos that he and Messi play for the same team now just before their first training session.