Sergio Ramos plays down Mohamed Salah incident in Champions League final

Sergio Ramos was at the centre of two controversial incidents, one with Mohamed Salah, during the Champions League final last month which his team won 3-1 against Liverpool.

Real Madrid captain and defender Sergio Ramos has come out in self-defence, claiming that the incidents of the Champions League final against Liverpool have ‘been blown out of all proportion’.

Sergio Ramos isn't taking blame for the challenge that ended up hurting Egypt star Mohamed Salah in the Champions League final. Salah left the field in tears after injuring his left shoulder in a tussle with Ramos with the score 0-0 in the first half. (AP)

The final held in Kiev saw Real Madrid clinching a 3-1 victory over the Premier League team, which left Mohamed Salah injured and goalkeeper Loris Karius with a concussion that might have affected his performance.

Salah had to leave the field with a dislocated shoulder after he appeared to have been pulled to the ground by Ramos, notorious for his aggressive nature on the field.

Before Karius went on to make two massive mistakes, he was floored in a collision with Ramos.

READ | Liverpool’s Loris Karius suffered concussion in Champions League final

But according to ESPN, Ramos claimed that his challenge on Salah was ‘not such a big thing’ when he was quizzed about it by the Spanish media.

“I’ve exchanged messages with Salah and he was pretty good. If he had an injection he could have played the second half, I’ve done it sometimes.

“It was not such a big thing, but it seems if Ramos does it, it stands out a bit more. I don’t know if it is because you are at Madrid and you’ve won for so many years, people look on it in another way.”

He also took aim at those who floored him with abuse on social media.

READ | FIFA World Cup 2018: Mohamed Salah included in final Egypt squad

“[Salah] pulls my arm first, and I fall on the other side. Then when his other arm is injured, they say that I’ve done a judo move on him. Then the goalkeeper says he is concussed after a clash with me,” he said.

“Now it only needs Firmino to say he got the flu as a drop of my sweat fell on him.”

Egypt coach Hector Cuper, however, quickly shot down the theory that Salah could have played on.

“I’m not a doctor, I don’t know if [Sergio] Ramos is a doctor, but it’s a player who is playing a final and has an injury,” Cuper told reporters prior to Wednesday’s friendly with Belgium. according to a report in OmniSport.

“I don’t have any doubt that if he could keep playing he would do it, because a Champions League final is extraordinary.”