Contrary to reports published in November, Aaron Ramsey did not cancel his contract in Mexico. His deal at Pumas UNAM was terminated by the club.
Initial coverage in both the UK and Mexico stated that Ramsey had mutually agreed to end his contract in order to return home following the disappearance of his family dog, Halo.
That narrative has now been contradicted by the player himself, who says he was informed that his contract had been terminated despite being fit, available and expecting to play again.
Ramsey, 34, joined Pumas in the summer, becoming the first British born player to appear in Liga MX. His time in Mexico City was disrupted by injury and by a deeply distressing personal situation after Halo, the family’s 10-year-old beagle, went missing from a boarding facility in San Miguel de Allende.
Despite wearing a GPS tracking collar, the dog was never found. Ramsey offered a reward that eventually rose to $20,000, while his wife Colleen Ramsey said the family had received “no body, no footage, and a bunch of lies”.
Pumas granted Ramsey compassionate leave during the search.
In a statement published this week, Ramsey made clear that the decision was taken out of his hands.
“I would like to thank the Mexican people for their kindness and generosity, for making me and my family feel so welcome,” he wrote on social media. “I also want to say a huge thank you to the coach, the coaching staff and especially the medical staff for helping me in a difficult time. I was ready and fit for the remaining matches and I really wanted to give my best for the Pumas. Unfortunately, my contract was terminated, which was a surprise and obviously a disappointment.”
He expanded further in a separate message, again stressing that he had expected to play on.
“With a lot of hard work, I was ready and match fit for the remaining games and I was looking forward to giving my best to the Pumas. Unfortunately, my contract was terminated which was a surprise and obviously disappointing. Therefore, I had no choice but to come home to Wales.”
Those comments sit in stark contrast to the earlier portrayal of events. Mexican outlet Periódico AM reported this week that Pumas decided to cut ties with Ramsey amid wider upheaval at the club, which has since seen two senior figures involved in his recruitment also sacked.
The club has not responded publicly to Ramsey’s account.
The Welshman’s departure initially drew criticism from some quarters in Mexico. Television analyst Damián Zamoginly, speaking to TUDN in November, said: “What Aaron Ramsey did was unprofessional. First by going away for two weeks for having lost his dog and then leaving the team without contributing anything. They brought a reinforcement with little desire to be on the pitch.”
That criticism now appears misplaced. Ramsey did not walk away, nor did he engineer his exit. He was released.
Ramsey made six appearances for the club, scoring once.
Since leaving Arsenal in 2019 on a free transfer, the midfielder has played for Juventus, Rangers, Nice and Cardiff, and continued to be plagued by injuries. 17 different problems ensured he missed 104 games for club and country.
Ramsey missed 159 games for Arsenal and Wales during his time in London, all of them coming after he met Ryan Shawcross in Stoke in 2010.
What comes next for Ramsey remains to be seen. He is still without a club.