Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez has admitted he’s looking to his idol Sergio Ramos for inspiration ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool.
The Spurs centre-back has described his fellow defender’s playing style as “unbelievable”, and says the Real Madrid man harbours the kind of mentality required to win at all costs.
Ramos was painted as the bad guy in the same fixture last year after his now infamous clash with Mohamed Salah – a tangle that led to the Egyptian leaving the field injured with just over half-an-hour played.
And while there’s no suggestion that Sanchez will take on a similar pantomime villain role against the Reds in Madrid on June 1, he continues to look to the Spanish international for motivation.
“Watching DVDs, it was unbelievable the way (Ramos) defends,” he said in an interview with The Mirror.
“He has that character you need to play that position.
“Sometimes now, everyone is too focused on playing football. But sometimes the striker doesn’t care. You see (Liverpool’s Roberto) Firmino. This guy. Crash. Block. (Harry) Kane as well. If he has to put his leg in, he will.
“Harry’s injury, against Manchester City, was the same. His ankle. He tried to block. And boom. The strikers are more worried to recover the ball and you have to be ready to fight against them.”
With Firmino back in training and expected to be fit to face Tottenham, as revealed by Jurgen Klopp, Sanchez knows he will have his work cut out to keep the Brazilian, Salah and Sadio Mane quiet.
But the menataility heading into a showcase final such as this, says Sanchez, is about one thing and one thing only.
“A final is about winning,” he said. “You can’t wait for the opponent to be better than you, or let them start to play their football.
“We are going to start aggressively. A final is about this. Everyone wants to win the trophy.
“If you have to crash, you have to crash. You don’t care. You have to tackle. Football is not composed of just taking the ball, or clear the ball, properly.
“Without touching the opponent? No. If you clear the ball and the opponent is in there – I feel sorry for the opponent!”
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