The now-retired Basque striker confesses that he hoped to make contact with Real Madrid centre-defender Sergio Ramos.
Playing against Ramos was a nightmare at the time
Aritz Aduriz was sent back in the 2006/07 campaign for an apparent elbow to the face of Mahamadou Diarra during a Real Madrid against Athletic Club match at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Still, he has now admitted that it was not meant for the Malian midfielder. The now-retired Basque striker confesses that he hoped to make contact with Real Madrid centre-defender Sergio Ramos. “Obviously, and I told him many times, playing against Ramos was a nightmare at the time,” Aduriz told reporters when asked who the defender that got on his nerves the most was. “The Ramos-Pepe union was a lot of fun to play against. I loved it, but I have told Sergio many times: it was challenging.”
Aduriz would have signed Haaland for Real Madrid and Mbappe for Barcelona
“I have to say that I’ve never said that before: I was once sent off at the Bernabeu because I elbowed Diarra, a horrible elbow, terribly ugly. I’m not at all proud of it, but this elbow was for Ramos and I made a mistake in the jump. I have a horrible love and friendship with Sergio, but it was tough games”. The former Athletic Club striker has offered his thoughts on Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, the two strikers of the future, and he said he would like them to be at Real Madrid and Barcelona. “Haaland and Mbappe both look impressive to me,” said Aduriz. “If I were the Real Madrid president, I would sign Erling Haaland. For the Blaugrana, I would sign Kylian Mbappe.”
The Basque striker was made to feel a part of the postponed 2020 Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad, which they lost 1-0 in Seville a couple of weeks ago, but he won’t have a similar role for the 2021 final this weekend between the Basque side and Barca. “I’m not going to the Copa final,” he said. “It’s not for me as a player, and it’s for me as a fan. And as a fan, I can’t go, so I won’t go. I’ll watch it at home with my family”. The 40-year-old player decided to retire at the end of the 2019/20 season, and he is happy with how his life is going after football. “I needed to be more Aritz and a little less Aduriz”, he said. “I went to live in Mallorca and enjoy it. I am a little disconnected from football.”