No one would have expected Spain's most capped footballer to hang up his boots in such an acrimonious manner.  

Sergio Ramos, who represented Spain with distinction at seven successive major tournaments from 2006 to 2018, suddenly announced his retirement from international duty after an unanticipated and cruel call from his country's new coach Luis de la Fuente. 

"This morning I received the call from the current coach who told me that he doesn't and will not count on me, regardless of the level I can show or how I continue my sporting career," Ramos posted on Instagram on Thursday.

"The time has come, the time to say goodbye to our beloved and exciting national team," added the 36-year-old Paris St Germain defender, who had his international debut aged 18 in 2005 and went on to make 180 appearances for Spain, winning the 2010 World Cup and back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012. 

"With a heavy heart, it's the end of a road that I hoped would stretch out further and which would end with a better taste in my mouth, on a par with all the success we achieved with La Roja," he said. 

"I honestly believe this journey deserved to end at my choosing or because my performances were not at a level worthy of the national team, not due to a question of age or other reasons." 

Ramos gave out no further details regarding the conversation between him and De la Fuente, but reading between the lines, he certainly didn't take the coach's decision well. 

The Spain legend has not played for his country since their 3-1 win over Kosovo in a World Cup qualifier two years ago and was left out of former coach Luis Enrique's 2022 World Cup squad. 

De La Fuente, who took over from Enrique following Spain's shock last-16 exit to Morocco in Qatar, seemed to leave the door open for Ramos's return when he claimed that, "Sergio Ramos, like other illustrious veterans, has every chance to come." 

"To talk about Sergio Ramos is to talk about the history of Spanish football, about an exceptional, fantastic footballer," he observed during a press briefing earlier this month. "He is still playing at a very high level. Just like other footballers with his age or younger who have the same possibilities to come." 

However, Ramos now knows he was not part of the new coach's plans after all, and he has made it clear that the decision to retire had been foisted on him by De La Fuente.

"Being young or less young is not a virtue or a defect, it is only a temporary trait that is not necessarily related to performance or ability," he said on Instagram.  

"I look with admiration and envy at Luka Modric, Lionel Messi, and Pepe. They are the essence of tradition, values, meritocracy and justice in football. Unfortunately, it will not happen to me because football is not always fair and football is never only about football. 

"I accept this, albeit with sadness, but my head is held high. I come away with unforgettable memories and the titles we have fought for and celebrated together and the tremendous pride I feel at being the most capped Spanish international of all time." 

With his international career reluctantly came to an end, Ramos will now be able to concentrate on club football with PSG, who top Ligue 1 by five points but face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals after a first-leg defeat against Bayern Munich.