Como defender confirms he won’t return to Real Madrid after Champions League qualification

Jacobo Ramon has confirmed he intends to stay at Como next season despite Real Madrid retaining a buy-back option on the Spanish defender, as the centre-back reflected on a historic campaign that ended with the club qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Ramon was unequivocal about his future when asked whether he would be returning to his former club. “I see myself here,” he said. Simply: “Yes.”

Real Madrid hold the same type of buy-back clause on Ramon as with Nico Paz, giving the Spanish giants the option to repurchase him within the next three years.

For now, however, the Spaniard shows no desire to exercise that exit route, having thoroughly embedded himself in what has been one of Serie A’s most remarkable stories.

On Como’s extraordinary season, Ramon was emotional.

“It was like realising a dream, something difficult to describe in words,” he said. “The joy of qualifying was at least on the same level as scoring at the Bernabeu with Real Madrid.” He credited Fabregas’s man-management above all else. “He has made us feel like a family, creating a group where everyone sacrifices for each other. That has been our strength.”