Solari backs 'honest' Ramos over doping claims

Santiago Solari has defended "honest" Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos following allegations of anti-doping violations.

German publication Der Spiegel made a series of claims, as part of the Football Leaks investigation, which suggested Ramos had broken anti-doping protocol on two occasions.

The first related to an alleged post-match mix-up following the Champions League final against Juventus in 2017, in which Der Spiegel claim traces of a forbidden substance were found in Ramos' sample.

The second claim alleged the Spain defender knowingly broke anti-doping rules by showering prior to providing a sample after Madrid's LaLiga game against Malaga in April 2018.

Madrid issued a statement disputing the allegations, while Ramos claimed the reports were "an attempt to stain my image and my professional reputation".

And Ramos has the support of Madrid head coach Solari, who stated the information is "not true".

"Sergio Ramos is an honest man," Solari told a news conference ahead of the Champions League game against Roma. "He's a great flagbearer for not just football but sport in Spain.

"We all have to protect him against this kind of journalism. Journalism has to inform or look for the truth, but what they are doing is sometimes trampling over people, putting out information that's not true.

"I respect your profession but, when things like this happen, it loses a little bit of respect as well. I think we have to think about all of that."