Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos holds 'players only' meeting without Zinedine Zidane

Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos had reportedly called for an emergency 'players only' meeting on Thursday, just a few days after Los Blancos suffered a humiliating 2-0 defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. It is believed that Ramos used the platform to highlight the importance of Real Madrid's final Group B game against Monchengladbach, as their qualification to the next round hangs in the balance. The 13-time European champions successfully reached the knockout stage in all 24 of their previous group-stage campaigns, but the pressure on manager Zinedine Zidane has been mounting this year.

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Sergio Ramos calls for 'players only' meeting as Madrid face UCL group stage elimination

According to reports from Spanish news outlet AS, Real Madrid’s first-team players gathered for an emergency meeting on Thursday morning at the club’s Valdebebas training ground. The meeting was organised by club captain Sergio Ramos and the 34-year-old centre-back reportedly told his teammates, "We are only one win away from getting through in the Champions League and we have to give everything in this final game. This is Real Madrid, we've come out of worse together". 

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Real Madrid are currently in third place in their Group B standings and have racked up seven points from their five group stage games in the Champions League so far. However, they've conceded nine goals in five games, which is their worst defensive record in this stage of the competition. They are in danger of not qualifying to the next stage of the Champions League and face a must-win game against Gladbach next week. However, Madrid could still finish top of their group in the Champions League if they beat Gladbach and if Inter Milan defeat Shakhtar next week.

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Although Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane wasn't part of the gathering, it is believed that the 'players only' meeting also served to reinforce the position of the under-fire coach. Zidane is understood to have the support of the core group in the dressing room, including Luka Modric, Marcelo and Ramos. The pressure on Zidane has been mounting with some reports stating that the 48-year-old might get the sack if he doesn't produce any positive results in the next three games. 

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Real Madrid has had a sluggish start in LaLiga as well, suffering three defeats already in the Spanish top division. They currently sit in fourth place on the table with 17 points from 10 games, seven points behind league leaders Real Sociedad. 

Image Credits - Real Madrid Instagram