Sergio Ramos bids farewell to Monterrey after contract ends

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Three days after Monterrey was eliminated in the Mexican Apertura semifinals, Spanish defender Sergio Ramos bid farewell to his team.

The 39-year-old Ramos arrived in Mexico on a one-year contract that ended with Monterrey's elimination on Saturday.

“It’s never easy to say goodbye. A stage of my career that began with so much excitement in February has come to an end,” Ramos posted Tuesday on his official social media accounts. “It has allowed me to discover a new country, a new city, a new style of football and has left me with so many new experiences and, more importantly, new friends.”

Ramos, who became captain of Monterrey, played in 34 matches in all competitions and scored eight goals.

“I have left everything on the pitch and off it to be able to give my very best,” the defender said. “I’ll always look back fondly on this stage of my career.”

Commonly known as Rayados, Monterrey is one of the most economically powerful clubs in the country.

The team’s president, Jose Antonio Noriega, said that the club and Ramos failed to agree on an extension without giving further details.

World champion with Spain in 2010 and European champion in 2008 and 2012, Ramos won five Spanish La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, his club for 16 seasons.

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