Antonio Rudiger has officially confirmed he will be leaving Chelsea at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract. It's become common knowledge that the German will leave the club in the summer, with Thomas Tuchel recently confirming his intentions.
Rudiger has now released a statement, via the Players' Tribune, where he spoke in-depth about his time at Chelsea and the numerous people he has grown to love in that time. "I don't like goodbyes, but I will try to make this one special, from the heart," Rudiger said.
"Actually, I have to tell you a story before I tell you a story. This is the African side of me. We have to take our time.
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"I want to talk about the Champions League final. But for you to understand, I have to tell a quick story about one of the nicest guys in football. I am speaking, of course, about N’Golo Kanté.
"Before I came to Chelsea, I had heard all the beautiful stories about him. They said he is always smiling. They said he still drives an old Mini Cooper. They said he never raises his voice. But you know how it goes in football, right? No one is really like that. There is too much pressure, too much disappointment. We are all human. No one is that cool all the time. It’s impossible. Then I met N’Golo.
"Everything I said to this guy, he would just look at me and nod his head, like he thought everything I said was really interesting. And he would do this thing … I don’t really know how to explain it on paper. You have to hear it. Every time I’m talking, he would go *click, click, click* with his mouth."
Rudiger played the full game as Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester City on Thursday evening. The Germany international had a mixed time during his Blues tenure. From being left out in the cold by Frank Lampard to becoming one of the best defenders in the Premier League under Tuchel.
It's been a ride for Rudiger and he knows it. "I leave this club with a heavy heart," he added in his statement.
"It has meant everything to me. Even this season, with all of the complications, has been enjoyable. Football is football. We are blessed to play a game for a living that we would play for free."
