Ramos to a record and qualification march

Sacred longevity! Fourteen years after his debut, captain Sergio Ramos can celebrate his 168th selection with Spain and improve the record holder with Iker Casillas (167), Saturday during a trip to Norway, where the "Roja" hopes to compile his ticket for Euro-2020.
Between 2005 and 2019, the long-haired crazy dog ​​gave way to the bearded and tattooed fashion icon, hero of a documentary series to his glory. But the same thirst to conquer anime Andalus (33 years), who still imagines a long career in the defense of Real Madrid and Spain.
"Sergio Ramos wants to play until he turns 40 and I think he will do it because he's incredible at all levels," coach Robert Moreno summed up last week.
With the international retreats of Xavi, Gerard Piqué or Andrés Iniesta, the native of Camas, near Seville, is one of the last survivors of the golden age of Spanish football: world champion in 2010 and double champion of Europe in 2008 and 2012.
As such, and on behalf of all the trophies won by Real (4 league champions), Ramos became captain of Spain in 2016, date of the last convocation of his predecessor Casillas (38 years) .
From the top of his 167 selections, "San Iker" obviously remains the captain who raised the first World Cup in the history of "Roja" in 2010 in Johannesburg.
But Ramos, former side manager of the defense, is offering himself a place apart in the history of the "Seleccion". And he could settle alone at the top of the list if he celebrates his 168th selection Saturday in Oslo.
The armband boosted the defender's aura, both guarantor of a certain fighting spirit and a new shooter for the "Roja" penalties. He also has 21 goals scored in the selection, more than the legendary Basque striker Telmo Zarra (20 goals) in the 1950s …
"It is impressive, it is an example to follow," explained the offensive midfielder PSG Pablo Sarabia in an interview with AFP. "He is an extraordinary player, with an impressive ability to federate, and when you think of the number of appearances he has accumulated, he is a model."
In Real, his coach Zinédine Zidane, who spent a season as a player (2005/06), said he was delighted that he remained in the offseason after rumors of transfer to China: "Sergio, c Sergio is our leader and our captain, I never imagine him leaving. "
In the selection, the Catalan Moreno, passed by the supervision of Barça, praises the human qualities of the Madrid defender: "We can only be laudable towards Sergio, his behavior has always been impeccable every time I asked him for help . "
Impeccable, it is also the summary of the course of Spain in the group F qualifying for the Euro-2020: 6 wins in 6 games (18 pts) and the possibility of entering the finals on Saturday.
It will be necessary to win in Norway and hope that Sweden will lose or that Romania does not win, respectively in Malta and the Faroe Islands, before a new chance of qualifying Tuesday against the Swedes.
But the insatiable Ramos sees further: "We have not won anything yet, we want to be first in our group, get 30 points," he said.
And the defender, who dreams according to the daily El Mundo to play the Olympic Games in Tokyo with Spain in the summer of 2020, can reach other records: it is now only nine lengths of the European record held by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (176 caps), and seventeen units in the world record set by Egypt's Ahmed Hassan (184). Two brands within his reach if he plays up to 40 years …