Ramos shocked by yellow card drama

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos said he was "very surprised" by the fuss over his yellow card against Ajax in the Champions League. Ramos was booked during Madrid's 2-1 win in the last-16 first leg on Wednesday, leading to a suspension. The defender appeared to initially admit he deliberately earned the caution so he could serve the ban before the quarter-finals – should Madrid advance – before backtracking, but UEFA has opened an investigation into his comments.

Ramos said he was shocked by the uproar since the game, insisting he was initially talking about the foul – not the yellow card.

"I'm very surprised by all of this," the Spain defender told Marca. "I meant to force the foul, a foul that was inevitable; not to force the suspension."

Making his 600th appearance for the club, Ramos was booked late in the game for a foul on Ajax striker Kasper Dolberg.

February 14, 2019

The 32-year-old said he knew he would be suspended, but added it was a foul he had to commit.

"I had no choice. It was a very dangerous counter-attack in the 88th minute with the match wide open and the tie as well," Ramos said.

"That's why I said that I'd be lying if I said that I didn't know that I would be suspended, just as I knew that I had no choice but to make the foul. And that's what I meant when I said that in football you have to make difficult decisions."