Ramos criticises Pique for comments

Spain captain Sergio Ramos has criticised international teammate Gerard Pique for speaking out in favour of Catalonia's controversial planned referendum on independence, risking a rift in the team a week before two crucial World Cup qualifiers.

Pique, who is regularly booed by large sections of Spain supporters for his outspoken comments against Real Madrid and his perceived support of Catalan independence, tweeted in favour of Sunday's referendum on Thursday - without backing a split for Spain - but urged supporters to behave peacefully.

Ramos later criticised his teammate for wading into the debate on the referendum, which the Spanish government deems illegal and has tried to prevent from taking place, as tension builds in the country ahead of one of the most significant days in the 39 years since Spain returned to democracy.

"Pique's tweet was not the best thing to do if he doesn't want to be booed," Ramos told reporters.

Ramos and Pique, in being flag-bearers for fierce rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, have long had a delicate relationship as Spain's two main centre backs but have generally managed to patch up their differences when playing for the national team.

Ramos, however, said Pique had risked causing divisions in the Spain camp with his comments.

"Perhaps the tweet is not the best thing for the group," he added.

"Everyone is free to say what they think, although as a captain I'm always concerned about the atmosphere in the team and Pique knew what he was doing. Maybe it wasn't the right time to do that and it doesn't help a lot."

Spain begin preparations for their final two World Cup qualifiers next week, hosting Albania on Friday and visiting Israel on Monday.

They need four points from the two games to book their place in Russia.

Comments

Kenyan Law Court dismisses case of man seeking compensation after his wife eloped with another man from hospital

A lawsuit filed by a man seeking to be compensated by St Mary's Mission Hospital in Kenya for allowing his wife to leave the hospital with another man after giving birth, has been struck out by a law court. The appellant had sued the St. Mary's Mission hospital at Kakamega law courts in 2020 seeking general damages from the facility on grounds that the hospital had discharged his wife and allowed her to leave with another man. After delivering and at the time of discharge, the wife of the appellant claimed he was the baby's father. The court of appeal judges Patrick Kiage, Mumbi Ngugi and Francis Tuiyott sitting at the Kisumu Court of Appeal, empathized with the man, but disagreed that he (the appellant) be compensated by the hospital for not detaining his wife. They upheld the lower court's judgement which added that there's no remedy that lies in the law for such grievances. Kiage said; "I agree that if a man takes the woman he loves to t...

Hurricane Hits Texas, One Person Reported Dead

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas as a Category 4 storm on Friday, battering the coast with 130-mph winds and torrential rain. It was the strongest hurricane to hit the United States in more than a decade leaving a massive destruction, loss of electricity, wrecked buildings and has so far killed at least one person. Scroll down to see more pictures of the incident:

Togo prime Minister Komi Klassou resigns

Togo’s prime minister and his government have resigned, the West African nation’s presidency said late Friday. President Faure Gnassingbe congratulated prime minister Komi Selom Klassou and his team for their “economic, political and social efforts and the encouraging results despite the health crisis around the world”, a statement on the presidency’s official website said. Togo has been due for a political reshuffle since Gnassingbe was reelected in February for a fourth term in office, but changes were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The president’s election win, which came after a constitutional change allowing him to run, extended more than a half-century of dynastic rule over the former French colony by the Gnassingbe family. The victory was disputed by the main opposition challenger, who has faced official harassment in the wake of the vote. The president has led the country of eight million people since taking over in 2005 following the death of his father Gnass...

BAMY BLOG

Search This Blog