Sergio Ramos Insists Sevilla Takeover Is Still Alive After Shareholders Accuse Him of 'Months of Deceit'

A deal on the brink

Sergio Ramos has refused to walk away from his attempt to buy Sevilla FC, despite a furious public attack from the club's majority shareholders. The former Spain international held a press conference at the Eurostars Torre Sevilla hotel on Monday afternoon, hours after the families that control the club issued a 14-point statement accusing him of a 'months-long deception' and a 'manifest lack of respect'. Ramos, who began his professional career at Sevilla, insisted his group remains committed to the purchase. 'I am still in Seville and we want to continue negotiating,' he said.

I consider that we have presented a very solid economic, sporting, social and institutional project. We understand that it is the best to lay the foundations for Sevilla to recover the place it deserves.

The shareholders' statement, signed by the Guijarro, Castro, Carrión, Alés and Del Nido Benavente families, claimed that on 27 May, just days before the exclusivity period was due to expire, Ramos and his advisors 'declared their express intention not to comply' with the agreement. They threatened legal action for the 'damage' caused to the club.

The two offers

Ramos detailed the evolution of his bid, explaining that the initial proposal was for 85% of the club's capital. This involved a payment of €279 million to shareholders at €3,175 per share, plus an €80 million capital increase, for a total investment of €359 million. However, he said the plan had to be adapted following a recommendation from LaLiga and his own advisors.

They recommended a capital increase of €120 million, not €80 million, before 30 June to guarantee the club's viability.

The revised final offer, presented last Wednesday, maintained the €3,175 per share price but restructured the payment. Shareholders would receive between €105 million and €141 million in a first phase, and a minimum of €137 million in a second deferred phase. The total investment, including the €120 million capital increase, reached €362 million. Ramos stressed that the difference between the two offers was only €5 million and that the payment was guaranteed.

Shareholders' fury

The shareholders' communiqué was scathing. They described Ramos's conduct as 'unworthy of such a respected and relevant figure in the world of football, who a priori represented a guarantee for the future of Sevilla'. The statement alleged that the entire process had been a 'deception prepared over months'. The families, who together control around 40% of the shares, had been seeking to sell their stakes since September 2025, with the club narrowly avoiding relegation for three consecutive seasons.

Ramos responded calmly to the threat of legal action. 'I am very calm because we have not signed anything. There was only a verbal agreement and at no time did we breach any contract of the negotiation,' he said. He also revealed his financial backers: the investment group DMI, Five Eleven Capital, and financing from Banco Santander and a 'very powerful foreign bank', which he described as providing 'unlimited money'.

What happens next

Despite the breakdown, Ramos remains hopeful. 'I would like to, I still have hope. Our offer is a great opportunity. I could come out and say all sorts of things, but the only objective is to close the transaction,' he stated. He appealed directly to the shareholders to accept payment in two instalments, arguing that the club's economic situation is 'very delicate' and requires an urgent capital injection before the 30 June deadline set by LaLiga.

I personally ask the shareholders to make an effort, like us, by expanding the capital.

For now, the takeover is paralysed. Ramos says he has received no response since last Wednesday. The ball is in the shareholders' court, but time is running out for a club that has been living on the edge both on and off the pitch.