Sevilla Shareholders Condemn Sergio Ramos Over Failed Club Sale

The statement was released after the club's sale deal failed.

Main shareholders of Sevilla, including former president José María del Nido Benavente and the Alice, Carrión, Guejar, and Castro families, issued a sharply worded statement on Monday targeting Sergio Ramos, the former captain of Real Madrid.

According to Marca newspaper, the shareholders directly addressed Sergio Ramos in their statement after negotiations to sell the club to the former footballer and an investment group collapsed a few days ago. These talks had been ongoing since the start of the year.

The statement refers to a "deception" that was "planned months ago" and highlights a "blatant disrespect towards the shareholders and the club," which it describes as "unbecoming of a prominent figure in the football world such as Mr. Ramos, who was theoretically a guarantee for Sevilla's future."

It also states that damaging information about the club’s accounts, allegedly misrepresenting reality, has been leaked by individuals close to Sergio Ramos, constituting a "blatant violation of the confidentiality agreements signed with the club and shareholders to protect their information."

The alliance led by the 40-year-old former Real Madrid defender had reached a preliminary agreement to purchase the Spanish club in a deal valued at approximately 444 million euros. However, negotiations faltered due to disagreements between the parties, causing the deal to collapse.

The shareholders detailed the circumstances behind the failed deal in the statement, which included a strong critique of Sergio Ramos.

The statement concluded by informing that a direct letter was sent that morning to Mr. Ramos and the company Five Eleven, condemning his breach, demanding payment of the penalty clause, and warning that his "malicious and fraudulent conduct will result in claims for additional compensation beyond the penalty sought." It also called on him to immediately cease violating his duty to maintain absolute confidentiality regarding club information accessed through documents disclosed to him for due diligence, which were protected by explicit confidentiality agreements.