When Antonio Rudiger’s “idol,” Cristiano Ronaldo, congratulated him on joining Real Madrid, he said he was “extremely frightened.”
After his contract with Chelsea expired this month, the 29-year-old international from Germany completed a free move to the capital of Spain. He’s committed to Carlo Ancelotti’s team for four years and will don the No. 22 jersey, which is now empty due to Isco’s recent departure.
Rudiger has a stellar resume. During his five years at Stamford Bridge, he won the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup. During that span, the Blues also advanced to three further FA Cup finals and two EFL Cup finals.
Rudiger was nonetheless uneasy when he initially spoke to Ronaldo in spite of everything. With 13 club championships and two World Cup victories, the Brazilian legend is one of the best players in football history. In 1997 and 2002, he also won the Ballon d’Or.
Between 2002 and 2007, Ronaldo had a successful four-and-a-half-year run with Real, scoring 104 goals in 177 appearances. During that time, he created numerous extraordinary moments, including a well-known Champions League hat-trick against Manchester United in 2003.
Therefore, it is not unexpected that Rudiger thinks so highly of Ronaldo. At his introduction earlier this week, the center-back told Real’s website that Ronaldo “played the [World Cup] final against Germany in 2002 with a very unique hairstyle.”
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“Ronaldo was our hero when we were kids and played street football. He and I had a video call at the time I signed. He was both extremely thrilled and extremely anxious. Until then, bye. Madrid, halo!”
After Real overcame Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final in May, Rudiger has now joined the defending champions of Europe. Over the following four years, he aspires to deliver the Spanish powerhouses even more success, perhaps even another European Championship.
Rudiger said “Playing under Carlo Ancelotti is a privilege. I’m sure there’s still a lot I can pick up from him, and I’m hoping he can help me here win another Champions League.”
The center-back acknowledged that Ancelotti was a major factor in bringing him to Madrid. He was supposedly wanted by a number of teams, including Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Thomas Tuchel, the manager of Chelsea, too wished he had stayed.
Rudiger claimed that the manager, Ancelotti, had a significant role to play. “I was persuaded to join Real Madrid after speaking with him. But in general, it is clear what this club stands for.”
Rudiger said when asked how he would describe himself: “I’m a player with a high moral code, but I believe it’s best to let others handle the rest and refrain from becoming egotistical. I believe it’s challenging to increase speed, but I’m fortunate in that I was born with it, which makes me very happy.”
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