Sergio Ramos famously put Mohamed Salah out of the 2018 Champions League final and while the Spaniard was chastised for the event, Trent Alexander-Arnold had a different take on the matter
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield
Trent Alexander-Arnold once revealed a unique take on Sergio Ramos and Real Madrid
(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to become a Real Madrid player this Sunday, and his remarks about ex-Los Blancos legend Sergio Ramos may shed light on why the defender is heading for the Spanish capital. Ramos, now 39, has earned a place in the annals of football's biggest villains for those on Merseyside.
His infamy began in the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv, where Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were up against Madrid. The stage was primed for Mohamed Salah to round off an incredible season by leading the Reds to their sixth European Cup victory.
However, Salah's dream swiftly turned into a nightmare after a clash with the rugged Madrid defender resulted in him crashing to the turf. Just 26 minutes in, Liverpool's talisman was led off the pitch in tears with a shoulder injury, his Champions League aspirations - and those of his team - shattered.
Madrid eventually prevailed 3-1, and the episode was enough to make Ramos a lifelong adversary of Anfield supporters - effectively persona non grata on Merseyside. However, Alexander-Arnold viewed the situation somewhat differently.
He later confessed to admiring Ramos' win-at-all-costs attitude, and these comments could explain why he was so keen to join Madrid, with the Spanish powerhouse's winning ethos possibly aligning perfectly with the 26-year-old's own.
Back in September 2018, when the wounds from the Champions League final were still fresh within the Liverpool camp, the full-back expressed his deep respect for Sergio Ramos.
Sergio Ramos clashes with Mohamed Salah in the 2018 Champions League final
Sergio Ramos clashes with Mohamed Salah in the 2018 Champions League final
"Everyone has their ways of winning and he has shown over the last 10 years that he's a winner," Alexander-Arnold confessed to The Guardian.
"So has his team. To win the Champions League three times in a row takes some doing. Ramos has probably been the best centre-back in the world for some time. Even if he was the enemy in May you still have to respect him as a player."
Regardless of the recent backing Alexander-Arnold received from Klopp amidst criticism from Liverpool supporters ahead of his departure, it appears there's no love lost between the Reds' ex-manager and Ramos, reports the Mirror.
"Is Mr Sergio Ramos really a good guy?" asked Klopp on Toni Kroos' Einfach mal Lupen podcast in October 2024. "He's not my favourite player. The action was brutal. I could never understand that mentality, I never had players like that and, when I did, I made sure they left."
Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah (L) reacts as he is forced the leave the pitch after hurting his shoulder in a challenge with Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos during the UEFA Champions League final football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine on May 26, 2018. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah was brought to tears by the incident
Salah has chose to avoid discussing Ramos, instead dwelling on the impact of the injury sustained in the game. "The final of the Champions League, a big dream for yourself, for the city, for the fans and for everyone. We wanted to win the Champions League," he said, speaking back in 2019.
“And that time, mentally, it was very, very bad. Especially when I got substituted, I went to the dressing room and was just crying because I felt like the Champions League was over."
When questioned about whether he'd had a chance to speak with Ramos since their infamous encounter, Salah replied: "Oh no. I didn't speak to him and for me the subject is closed. I'm not talking about him now."
Alexander-Arnold will now join Real in time to play in the Club World Cup after the Spanish side paid a fee to release him from Liverpool early. The player has already agreed a six-year deal with the 15-time European Cup winners.