Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has reacted to his exclusion from the European Championships squad by Spain boss Luis Enrique.
The talismanic central defender was not named on the 24-man panel by Luis Enrique for the upcoming tournament in what was the headline news from Monday morning’s squad announcement.
The 35-year-old is the most capped player in the history of the Spanish national team with 180 appearances and his absence is noteworthy.
Ramos has been troubled by injuries this campaign which have limited him to just 15 league starts and just once since 9 January.
The defender has now taken to social media to write: “After a tough few months and a strange season unlike anything I have experienced in my career comes the Euros.
“It pains me not to have been able to help my team more and not to play for Spain but, in this case, the best thing to do is rest, fully recover and come back next year like we’ve always done. It hurts not to represent your country, but I have to be honest and sincere.
“I wish all my teammates the very best of luck and I hope we have a great Euros. I’ll be another fan cheering on from home. A big shout to everyone and #VivaEspaña and #HalaMadrid always!”
Not only is Ramos absent from the Spain squad but there are no Madrid players included at all in the panel – there is no room for right-back Dani Carvajal, for the in-form defender Nacho Fernandez or for forward Marco Asensio, while Lucas Vazquez is also out through injury.
It is the first major finals in which Spain have not included a player from the club.
