Sergio Ramos has never been one to shy away from conflict on the football pitch and the Paris Saint-Germain defender’s style of play was certainly felt by Leandro Paredes on Tuesday night.
PSG picked up a 2-1 win over Juventus on the opening night of the Champions League thanks to a brilliant first-half brace from Kylian Mbappe. The star striker volleyed in early on from a scooped pass from Neymar before rifling in a second following a slick interchange with Achraf Hakimi.
Having been dominated in the first 45 minutes, Juve responded after the break with a header from Weston McKennie, but in truth it should have been a more comfortable win for the hosts at the Parc des Princes. It was anything but comfortable for Paredes, who was given the rough treatment on his return to the club.
Paredes joined Juve from PSG on an initial loan, with the option to buy, just seven days ago. The Argentina international made his debut on Saturday in a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina and was then, by a quirk of fate, forced to return to Paris with his new side to face his old one.
Paredes spent three years with PSG, playing 117 matches, before heading for Turin. But there appeared to be no love lost between the midfielder and Ramos, who was his teammate for one season in Paris.
Tempers flared in the 24th minute following a foul on Mbappe, which left the PSG striker writhing around on the floor in pain. Ramos was first on the scene and took issue with Paredes, who he started to push away while exchanging some angry words.
Referee Anthony Taylor attempted to calm things down, but Ramos continued to push Paredes as more players joined the melee. The veteran PSG defender eventually was shown the yellow card, but he still managed to enjoy some more clashes with his former teammate throughout the rest of the match.
PSG midfielder Marco Verratti tried to play down the significance of the tussle with a joke in his post-match interview. “I am good friends with him,” he said of Paredes.
“The odds on that happening were pretty good, as I’d seen them go at it in training, so I’d have bet my house on that happening! They both care so much and put a lot of character into every challenge, but they always have a hug at the end.”
Of course, Ramos is no stranger to confrontation. In fact he is joint-holder of the most red cards in the competition’s history, having been dismissed four times – the same as Edgar Davids and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ramos has 27 red cards throughout his entire career in all competitions, having picked up one in just his third game for PSG back in December.
