Ramos niega incumplimiento en rueda de prensa y advierte sobre la situación financiera del Sevilla

Sergio Ramos used a June 1 news conference in Seville to reject accusations from the club’s main shareholders that he and his investor group had broken the terms of a deal to buy Sevilla FC. Ramos said neither he nor his advisers had breached the letter of intent governing the talks and argued that no final share purchase agreement had ever been signed. He also said Sevilla’s finances were more fragile than the selling shareholders had acknowledged and that his revised proposal was designed to keep the club viable. The appearance came hours after the club’s main shareholder families accused Ramos of months of deception and said they would seek damages. ### What exactly did Ramos deny in the press conference? Ramos told reporters in Seville that his side had “not breached any term of the LOI” and said his group was “very, very calm” about the legal position of the failed transaction. He added that “at no time” had there been a fully signed final agreement, saying the SPA — the share purchase agreement needed to complete the sale — was never executed. (efe.com) The shareholders’ version was different. The families Guijarro, Castro, Carrión, Alés and Del Nido Benavente said in a June 1 statement that Ramos and his advisers told them on May 27 that they would not comply with the deal reached for the sale of the club. They said the investor profile changed materially and that the new structure altered both the form and substance of conditions they considered already closed. (marca.com) ### Why did the deal break down? May 27 became the key date in the collapse. According to the shareholders, Ramos’s side replaced the original investor structure with one centered on Grupo DMI, which they said raised doubts about the future of Sevilla’s real-estate assets and amounted to a rupture of the agreed framework. They said the exclusivity period had begun after a due-diligence process that started on February 9 and lasted 45 days, with two extra weeks granted to buyers to finish their review. (efe.com) Ramos said the terms evolved because Sevilla’s financial needs had changed during the negotiations. He told reporters the initial plan contemplated an 80 million euro capital increase, but that advisers and LaLiga’s recommendations pointed instead to a 120 million euro increase. He said the final proposal raised the capital injection to protect the club’s financial viability and that the remaining difference with the sellers was that payment for the shares would be split into two parts. (efe.com) ### What did Ramos say about Sevilla’s finances? Ramos said Sevilla had “important accumulated losses” and recurring losses visible in the club’s accounts. He said his group’s goal was to secure the club’s future viability and argued that the revised offer responded to the financial reality of the business rather than an attempt to reduce commitments. (marca.com) The shareholders disputed the suggestion that the club’s position had been hidden. In their statement, they said Sevilla’s economic situation was “absolutely transparent and public” and that the club’s audited annual accounts were available on the club website. They also said they were already working to revive proposals from other “solid” groups after the exclusivity period with Ramos expired. (sport.es) ### What was Ramos’s original offer, and how did it change? An earlier agreement reported on May 12 valued the transaction at 450 million euros for roughly 80% of Sevilla’s shares, subject to final documentation, payment guarantees and regulatory approvals. That report said the price was around 3,500 euros per share and that the deal involved staged payments. (efe.com) At the June 1 press conference, Ramos said the opening proposal had offered 3,175 euros per share for 85% of the club and that the final gap between the two sides was only 5 million euros. He also said DMI had been with the project from the start and that Banco Santander and another international bank had demonstrated the availability of funds for the operation. (elpais.com) ### Is Ramos still trying to buy Sevilla? Ramos said in Seville that he remained in the city to try to close the transaction and was still extending a hand to the shareholders. He called his bid “a great opportunity for the viability of Sevilla Fútbol Club” and said his only objective was to complete the deal. June 30 is the next date Ramos put on the table. (elperiodico.com) He said Sevilla must complete its capital increase before then, while the shareholders said they were reopening talks with other possible buyers after ending the exclusivity period with Ramos. (efe.com) (marca.com)