Antonio Rudiger says he would not have left Chelsea for any other club this summer than Real Madrid, and the German star has opened up about the conflicting emotions he felt during the two sides’ Champions League quarter-final meeting last season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Rudiger joined Chelsea from Roma in the summer of 2017, but it wasn’t until Thomas Tuchel took over as manager that he blossomed into one of Europe’s standout central defenders. The 29-year-old thrived on the left side of Tuchel’s back three and was a huge influence in the Blues’ 2021 Champions League victory.
Nonetheless, Rudiger’s incredible comeback has put Chelsea in a difficult position. With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2021/22 season, the possibility of losing the defender on a free transfer became real. The previous Blues hierarchy offered Rudiger a contract worth more than £200,000 per week during contract talks.
It was an offer that would have made Rudiger the highest-paid defender in club history, but it was turned down. Chelsea were unable to hold further talks after being forced to operate under sanctions imposed on ex-owner Roman Abramovich as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As a result, Real Madrid was able to make their move. “For me, there were only two options: stay at Chelsea or move to Real Madrid. Germany was not a viable option “Rudiger explained this in an interview with German outlet Sport1 this week while on international duty.
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“It [a move to Real Madrid] became official at the end of April. But, before everything became clear, my brother misled me. We faced Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals with Chelsea. After the first leg loss, he abruptly said to me, ‘Toni, I’m not sure if this will still work.’ In the second leg, you must demonstrate that the change is functional.’ My head was shattered, but that motivated me.”
Chelsea was defeated 3-1 in the first leg by Real Madrid, and few gave Tuchel’s team a chance to win at the Bernabeu. However, the Blues put in one of their best European performances, taking an unexpected 3-0 lead over the La Liga giants.
“I thought they were gone after Timo Werner made it 3-0,” Rudiger said. “No other team had Real on their hands like we did – ten minutes before the end, in their own stadium. I then predicted that the fans would go against their team and whistle.
“I also wanted to make a little fun of myself…but there was nothing to make fun of. The fans yelled that Real had scored, not us. Something is in the air here, I thought. And then, four minutes later, that outside-of-the-foot pass from Modric – and things went their way [with Real Madrid winning the tie on aggregate].”
Rudiger’s move to the Bernabeu was confirmed only after the previous season ended. He signed a four-year contract after joining on a free transfer. However, the German international has had to be patient thus far, starting only four of Real Madrid’s nine games in all competitions.
Nonetheless, he has already established a rapport with Carlo Ancelotti, the legendary Italian coach who led Real Madrid to the Champions League last season and won the double during his two seasons in charge of Chelsea over a decade ago. And Rudiger has spoken about how the 63-year-old connects with his players.
“I’d only been in our new house with my family for a few hours – we’d just finished barbecuing – when the doorbell rang. Carlo Ancelotti was standing right in front of me when I opened it. A stunning moment, “Rudiger explained. “He sat with us at the table, ate with us, and got to know my family. Very ordinary, very ordinary. He was there for two hours and we discussed everything.
“To be honest, I’ve never had anything like it, and no coach has ever done anything like that for me. After only a few months with him, I can say Ancelotti is unrivaled when it comes to dealing with players. Stop Don Carlo, a coaching legend who won the Champions League when I was a child. Working with him every day at the world’s most successful club is fantastic.”