Mendilibar Urges Sergio Ramos to Adjust Mindset as Sevilla Claim First Win

Sevilla’s manager, Jose Luis Mendilibar, has emphasized the need for Sergio Ramos to adapt his mindset now that he has returned to the club, following his debut in their 1-0 victory over Las Palmas.

The win lifted Los Nervionenses off the bottom of La Liga, with another debutant, Dodi Lukebakio, netting the crucial goal late in the match. Ramos, speaking after the game, expressed his happiness, stating that he could ‘die happy’ after his second debut at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

In contrast to Ramos’s jubilation, Mendilibar’s sentiments were more measured. He told Diario AS that the 37-year-old defender must acclimate to a team that may not be as formidable as those he’s been a part of in the past.

“He is the one who speaks on the field of play, the one who calls the shots. But we have to change his ideas; he wants to play out from the back, and that is not our style. We play more directly and from there, we engage in the opponent’s half. We arrived at a difficult time last season, and there are things that we do not want to happen again.”

“Also, he has to play our game. He has played in clubs that have always dominated, and now he is in a team in which we are not as dominant. And we all have to change our mindset, Sergio also has to change his mindset.”

These words may not align with Ramos’s or Sevilla’s preferences, but it appears that Mendilibar aims to build a more grounded team, particularly after another summer with limited investment. His emphasis on competitiveness, which contributed to their success at the end of the previous season, is seen as crucial to Sevilla’s improvement after a challenging start to the current campaign.