Former Spain and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has defended the actions of the investment group he represents after their deal to buy Sevilla collapsed at the 11th hour.
Sevilla's current shareholders issued a statement on Monday in which they claimed that -- on May 27, shortly before a key deadline in the sale on May 31 -- Ramos and his advisers attempted to alter a deal which had been agreed on May 11.
Speaking at a news conference later on Monday, Ramos denied that the agreement had ever been formalised and said that he and potential investors DMI and Five Eleven Capital had only "adapted" their offer at the last minute with one that does not substantially differ from the initial agreement.
"We're not here to scam anyone, just to help Sevilla in one of the most delicate moments in its history," Ramos said. "We're not robbing or deceiving anyone. Our offer is not set in stone.
"Let's talk, we're still here to negotiate. Let's sit down this week and sort this mess out, even if it's outside of the exclusivity period [which ended on May 31], which isn't something that worries me."
The former Sevilla youth player said that the only changes made to the initial agreement were that payment would be made in two installments, and that there would be a capital increase of €120 million ($140m) instead of €80 million ($93m).
"The sooner we reach an agreement, the better for everyone," Ramos said, adding: "Every day that passes seriously damages Sevilla's future."
The news conference came after the group of families which owns a majority stake in Sevilla heavily criticised Ramos and his advisers.
"The DMI Group was actually their only investor, with the others disappearing, including Five Eleven itself, changing the interlocutors and fulfilling a completely different approach, in form and substance, to the conditions already agreed upon," a statement read.
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"The radical change in the investor profile, very different in nature from the previous ones which disappeared, even generated doubts about the future of the entity's real estate assets. A breach that the buyer clearly knew would undermine the operation, given that the agreement had been finalised months earlier and been publicly endorsed by Mr. Ramos himself since May 11.
"This deception, which Mr. Ramos and his entourage kept up until that very day [the deal collapsed], as everyone who had any contact with him knows, was not something that happened suddenly, as he absurdly claims now. It was prepared months ago, months of deception to the detriment of Sevilla FC, with machinations that have been revealed."
Sevilla's financial struggles have had the club in crisis in recent years. The team finished just one point above the relegation zone in LaLiga this season for the second year running.
Information from EFE contributed to this report.
