Sergio Ramos to Grada Blanca

"My dream is to become Real Madrid's captain someday"

At 21, Sergio Ramos has already played 100 games with Real Madrid and has become a fan favourite. His drive, devotion and passion have made him an essential player on Schuster's side and on the Spanish national team.

Did you ever think you would play 100 games with Real Madrid?
I am very surprised by it. I always dreamed about achieving something important and playing for a Club as big as the one I play for now, but I never thought I would be doing so well and taking over from some of the most important players this team has had.
What do you remember of Real Madrid when you started playing football?
I always liked to watch a lot of football and I tried to follow Real Madrid as much as I could. I especially payed attention to Fernando Hierro, Suker, Zamorano... I especially liked Fernando Redondo;he always stood out. They all made me think about making it as big as they had someday.

Did you use to play as a striker?
Yes, when I was a kid, but I fell back gradually as I grew older. I played as a right back with Sevilla when Caparrós promoted me to the first team. I've always loved being an attacker and I am usually lucky when it comes down to scoring. Strikers that score earn more money (laughs). I am very happy with the position I play in and I am ready for whatever I may be required to do by the team.

You have become a fan favourite in a very short time...
That's important to me. I will always be grateful to the Club, my teammates and the fans for the way they have treated me, especially the latter, who have given me all their support since day one.

What do people like about you?
I don't know. I guess they like the fact that I give my all for this shirt. That's the most important thing for them, especially when a player comes from a different Club.

More than 100 games, nearly 20 goals... Which is your favourite?
My favourite from last year were the strikes I netted against Bilbao and Valencia because they gave us the victory in both fixtures. I liked the goal I scored against Getafe this season because it showed great drive when we weren't doing too well. What I did spoke for how we all felt and it gave us the three points.

Do you imagine yourself as the team's captain in a few years?
I think our current captains have many more professional years ahead of them. Raúl, Michel Salgado, Guti and Iker will be with us for a very long time still. I don't think about being the team's captain, but I do try to get ready little by little because someday I may just be. It would be a dream for me to be able to lead Real Madrid.

You will now face Deportivo...
We have to change our frame of mind very quickly because we play many games in different competitions. We will always do our best to lead in every single one of them. We currently depend on our own efforts in the League and the Champions League, but we know teams like Deportivo will make things hard for us.

Schuster post-match presser

"We win because we are a quality team"

Bernd Schuster dismissed criticism towards the team's game by stating the fact that it currently leads the competition. The German coach praised Guti and Raúl, but shared his concern for the ease with which his team concedes goals in the opening minutes of games.
What did you think of the Saviola and Van Nistelrooy partnership?
I see no problems in their partnership, but they depend on the feed from midfield, which is were we lacked the creativity needed to give them the chance to play better. Ruud and Saviola had to play in midfield today at times and that is always hard for strikers because their game normally depends on what others do. Their fighting spirit helped us take the victory.

The team seems to be surprised easily in the first half. This forces it to come back from initial defeats...
It is hard to understand why we concede goals so early in a game and it makes things harder for us. We should do the opposite: score the opening goal. We have to take risks; we play with three defenders, so it is hard to be solid in defence. I hope our injured defenders recover soon in order for this to change.

What were you hoping for when you brought Raúl and Sneijder on?
I wanted Raúl and Ruud to share the lead in attack. Guti was also meant to enter the rotation system today, but sometimes things don't go as planned. We should give our players time to rest because of the schedule that lies ahead for us. The good news is that we will have three 'new' players in defence on Wednesday.

Robinho says he will calm down once his child is born, especially off the pitch. Do you think he should? Let's see how the kid turns out to be; that is more important. I'm sure having a baby will boost Robinho's morale.

You've said the team doesn't play like you expected them to at the start of the season on more than one occasion. Do you feel there is still something missing?
I'm not worried about it because we are still leaders and the top scoring team in the competition. We have also conceded the least number of goals so far. We have to get better luck with injuries and take things slowly. It is obvious we are a quality team and that is why we win games. Teams that aren't leaders should worry more than us.

Having Guti to sort out every game must put you at ease...
Guti, Raúl, Ruud, Robinho... They're here because they can do that. They make a difference against teams like Deportivo and Olympiacos. Something would be definitely wrong if they didn't shine in games like these. The important thing is to always work as a team. We shouldn't complicate things further for ourselves.

Are you surprised by people who question the quality of players like Guti or Raúl?
It is always good for a coach to have his own ideas and to change schemes depending on different situations. Guti has to adapt to this position. He wants to solve problems, but he can't do it over night. Both players are deeply loved by the fans and we have to take advantage of that.

Is Pepe one of the players you hope will be able to play on Wednesday?
I don't think he will play on Wednesday, but I hope Heinze, Cannavaro and Diarra do.

Van Nistelrooy & Gago

"It's hard to explain what happened in the first half, but we luckily improved in the second"

Ruud van Nistelrooy and Fernando Gago were two of the stars of the game against Deportivo. The former scored yet another goal in the League and the latter dominated the game in midfield.

Van Nistelrooy

"I played and I scored. I did better in the second half. The three points we have taken tonight are important. We had a complicated start, but we are motivated and we try to improve with every game. I think we did well in the opening ten minutes, but Deportivo managed to score. We did much better in the second half."
"We are a strong team in our stadium. It feels good not have lost any games at home so far this season. We must continue playing this way. We should do the best we can in the next couple of games because they will be very important."

"Raúl is a living legend. He's won it all and he is a great leader. He is also an incredible person."


Gago

"We didn't play as we had hoped for in the first half, but we did in the last 45 minutes. It's hard to explain what happened to us in the first half, but we turned the score around in the second and played better."

"I felt comfortable and happy in my third game. I must continue working hard and calmly."

"Words can't describe what Raúl means to this Club. It is a luxury for myself and the rest of my teammates to see him train every day and witness his intensity at work."

Realmadrid.com

Sneijder & Robinho

"Complicated games lie ahead"

Wesley Seneijder and Robinho know the forthcoming matches against Valencia and Sevilla will be complicated. Both players are satisfied with their team's performances because they have so far allowed them to be at the top of the League and their Champions League group.

Sneijder

"I've played many games with Real Madrid in the last few days, so I think it is normal I didn't make the starting eleven this evening. I am very happy for having been able to play in the end."
"The game against Valencia will be very complicated, but we must continue playing this way, especially how we did tonight in the second half. The games against Valencia and Sevilla will be hard."

"I think this is a tough League, but the important thing right now is that we are leaders both in this competition and in our Champions League group. We will improve on our game little by little."

"We try to play well and to improve with every match. Raúl is a great player and a magnificent captain. He sets a great example for all of us to follow."


Robinho

"This has been a very good week for the team and for me in particular because we have won two games and I have played very well. I scored in both fixtures and that helps me improve."

"Schuster's style favours mine because it is offensive, which is always good for a creative player like myself."

"I have to improve a lot in order to be the best player in the world, which is a dream of mine. I thank Pedja Mijatovic for believeing in me, but he is our Sporting Director and part of his job is to support us."

Realmadrid.com

Schuster

"We could have used a little luck"

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster was pleased with his men's effort despite leaving two points behind in Athens.

"I am satisfied with my footballers' effort. We maintained possession and could have scored at any moment."
"This stadium is very hard for visiting teams to play in. We missed out on two points, but the draw may just be enough."

"I am pleased with the way we played. We were very patient and attacked well, but we could have used a little luck. We want to qualify for the next round in Bremen."