Sergio Ramos: I did not get booked deliberately

Posted Thursday, April 04, 2013 by YAHOO Sport

Sergio Ramos has laughed off suggestions that he picked up a yellow card on purpose in the first leg of Real Madrid's 3-0 Champions League quarterfinal win against Galatasaray.

The Spaniard went into the referee's book in the closing stages of the encounter for kicking the ball away after play had been stopped, but the 27-year-old has insisted that he was not after a booking in order to pick up a suspension for the second leg, which would ensure his availability for the semifinals.

"The referee gave a free kick on the edge of the box, but it wasn't a foul," Ramos told Real Madrid's official website. "It was a situation that angers you, because you don't want to concede any goals, and it was a dangerous situation on the edge of the box that could have complicated matters."

Ramos then went on to stress that he thinks Madrid is on track to make it to the Champions League final after beating Galatasaray so convincingly in the first leg.

"We have a special fondness for this competition and it has been years since we last won," Ramos said. "We haven't made it yet, but we're on the right track to get through to the final, without wanting to underestimate anyone because our first priority right now is concluding this quarterfinal."