As his teammates with the national team in Seefeld begin intense preparations for the European Championship, Antonio Rudiger is back to everything.
In Porto, the Chelsea defender will fight alongside Timo Werner and Kai Havertz in the UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City (Champions League: Manchester City – Chelsea FC on Saturday from 9 pm in Liviker) for the European Football Championship.
There is no doubt that Rudiger’s name will appear on the official score sheet about an hour before kick-off. But in the fall of last year, that wasn’t necessarily expected. Not to mention, the Blues reached the first-class final.
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Rüdiger thrived under Tuchel
But the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, who followed the unlucky Frank Lampard at the end of January, marked a turning point for Chelsea this season, as well as for Rudiger. (How did Guardiola Tuchel support)
Because at the start of the season, the 28-year-old was disqualified under Lampard and was not even in the team four times in the Premier League. “I was really about to leave,” said Rudiger. Kicker. “At the start of the season with the European Championship at the end, I felt it was my duty to look for alternatives to the Football Association in order to have adequate training for the matches.”
He nearly landed at PSG, who was still training under Tuchel. “Paris Saint-Germain and Thomas Tuchel were the most serious choice,” Rüdiger said. “I’ve also been in touch with Tottenham Hotspur and Jose Mourinho, whom I really admire as a coach. In the end, that was out of the question.”
Rudiger is at his best in the Champions League Final
Born in Berlin and formerly from Stuttgart, he has worn a sweatshirt since 2017, winning the FA Cup with the team in 2018 and the European League a year later. The handle bowl will be the icing on the cake. However, “100 percent” was the biggest match of his career, the defender emphasized.
And Rüdiger at its best. The defensive 1.90m giant takes the left side of Tuchel’s favorite 3-way streak. Tuchel relies on his offensive motives, in the end he has scored one goal this season. (UEFA Champions League Schedule and Results)
It is also a defensive bank. In the last season of the Premier League, Rudiger achieved a solid dueling average of 74%. Note: In 33 official matches played this season, the defender managed to win without a single yellow card.
Fighting against hate and racism
Rudiger is not only a driving force on the field, but he is also in favor of a clear opinion off the field. He also sees himself as a fighter against hate and racism.
Rüdiger wrote in a very emotional contribution to “he’ll keep this fight forever.” Tribune playersBecause I know there are people who really care about me and hear me.
For these people, he played the final, because “you suffered and cried with me,” Rudiger wrote. “And if you win the cup, God willing, you and Neukolln’s boy will win the cup.”
Rudiger talks about the tough times his teenager spent in Berlin and the bad insults he faced as a professional footballer in Germany, Italy and England. “I was born here, but for some Germans I will never be German,” says Rudiger.
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Rüdiger has Löw’s confidence
With the national team, he has the full confidence of national coach Joachim Low. “We actually have a very special relationship with each other,” said Rudiger Deem. Kicker. “On the human level.” This is one of the reasons that led him to “bid the best farewell to Luff” in his most recent tournament as a national coach. (National Team Table)
After Rüdiger was not always able to fully coax the DFB uniform, he applied for the defensive captain role at the start of the World Cup qualifiers, especially in matches against Iceland (3: 0) and Romania (1: 0). Rudiger would very likely share that role in the European Championship with returning Mats Hummels – but such terms aren’t important for the Chelsea star anyway.
Rüdiger said: “Frankly,“ Chief of Defense! ”Something like that is only brought from outside. “They both have to communicate, regardless of who is playing.”
First of all, the final against Manchester City is on the agenda anyway. And Rüdiger wants to go performance again and at best, then raise the handle bowl to the sky.