Antonio Rudiger says he would not have left Chelsea for any other club than Real Madrid this summer – and the German star has opened up on the conflicting emotions he felt during the Champions League quarter-final meeting between the two sides last season.
Rudiger arrived at Stamford Bridge from Roma in the summer of 2017 but it wasn't until Thomas Tuchel's appointment as Chelsea head coach that he blossomed into one of European football's standout central defenders. The 29-year-old thrived on the left of Tuchel's back three and was hugely influential as the Blues claimed the 2021 Champions League.
Yet Rudiger's hugely impressive turnaround left Chelsea in a difficult position. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, the risk of losing the defender on a free transfer became genuine. Talks were held over a new deal and Rudiger was offered a contract in excess of £200,000 a week by the previous Blues hierarchy.
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It was an offer that would have made Rudiger the best-paid defender in the club's history but one that was not accepted. And after Chelsea were forced to operate under the sanctions imposed on ex-owner Roman Abramovich following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Blues were unable to hold further negotiations
And that allowed Real Madrid to make their move. "There were only two options for me: either I stay at Chelsea or I go to Real. Germany was not a serious prospect," Rudiger explained in an interview with German outlet Sport1 while away on international duty this week.
"At the end of April, it [a move to Real Madrid] became really concrete. But before everything was clear, my brother fooled me a bit. We played with Chelsea against Real in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. After the first-leg defeat, he suddenly said to me: 'Toni, I don't know if this will still work. In the second leg, you have to show everything so that the change works.' My head was shattered, but that spurred me on."
Chelsea suffered a 3-1 defeat in that first leg to Real and few gave Tuchel's side much chance of overcoming Los Blancos at the Bernabeu. However, the Blues produced one of their best European performances and opened up an unexpected 3-0 lead against the La Liga giants.
"After Timo Werner made it 3-0, I thought: They're gone," said Rudiger. "No other team had Real on their hands like we did – in their own stadium, ten minutes before the end. I then speculated the fans would go a little against their team and whistle.
"I also wanted to tease myself a bit...but there was nothing to tease about. The fans screamed like Real scored and not us. There's something in the air here, I thought. And then four minutes later that outside-of-the-boot pass from Modric - and things took their course [as Real Madrid won the tie on aggregate]."
It was only after the previous campaign concluded that Rudiger's move to the Bernabeu was confirmed. He joined on a free transfer and signed a four-year contract. The German international has had to be patient thus far, however, starting only four of Real's nine matches in all competitions.
Yet he has already developed a good relationship with Carlo Ancelotti, the legendary Italian coach who guided Real to the Champions League last season and won the double during his two seasons in charge of Chelsea more than a decade ago. And Rudiger has discussed how the 63-year-old bonds with his players.
"I had only been in our new house with my family for a few hours – we were just barbecuing – and the doorbell suddenly rang. I opened it and Carlo Ancelotti was just standing in front of me. A wow moment," Rudiger said. "He sat down at the table with us, ate with us and got to know my family. Very normal, very down-to-earth. He was there for two hours, we talked about everything.
"I'll be honest, I've never experienced anything like it, no coach has ever done something like that for me. After the few months with him, I have to say: When it comes to dealing with players, Ancelotti is untouchable. Stop Don Carlo, a coaching legend – he already collected Champions League titles when I was a child. Working with him every day now and at the most successful club in the world is wonderful."
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