Madrid 15:16h CET

Sergio Ramos spoke to the media as the Spanish national team gathered for their two internationals against Israel and France on the 24th and 28th of March. The Real Madrid captain said "we can not relax against any of our rivals" and add that the side must always be thinking about accumulating the maximum points available to them.

Ramos on Piqué

Asked about the furore over some of the recent refereeing decisions that Piqué vented on social media about, Ramos said it is the same against Athletic Bilbao at the weekend in what was a heated match, "the game finishes and you shake hands. It's the way it is between Real Madrid and Barcelona and that will not change. Now, I will give him a hug. We have become accustomed to throwing stones, but we take it without malice and it is always healthy...and that serves as something for you to sell. The key is the unity in the team, and that can not be lost."

On his performances for Real Madrid, he acknolwedges that "I didn't expect to score as many goals. It is the best record of my career as a goalscorer, but I don't think too much about it, as a defender, I am thinking more about conceding as little as possible. If I can score in important matches late on, even better." He also said he will wait until the end of the season before looking back and deciding whether it was the best season of his career or not.

Follow the coverage match of World Cup 2018 qualifier : Spain vs Israel

Spain Spain Clasificación Mundial Europa Table PTS W D L 1 España 10 3 1 0 2 Italia 10 3 1 0 3 Israel 9 3 0 1 Full standing Next matches España - Israel V-24/03 20:45 Macedonia - España D-11/06 20:45 España - Italia S-02/09 20:45 Fixtures *Update 20 de marzo de 2017