Antonio Rudiger has labeled Luis Suarez as the “master of the dark side”.
The Chelsea defender was interviewed by the club’s official website and reflected on what it was like to mark the Atletico Madrid striker during a meeting between the two clubs in last season’s Champions League round-of-16.
One of the most prolific strikers in the modern era, the combative Suarez does have somewhat of a reputation.
Banned for biting Branislav Ivanovic during his Liverpool days, the Uruguayan international is a controversial figure.
Chelsea eased past the eventual Spanish champions with a 3-0 aggregate win after goals from Olivier Giroud in the first leg and both Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri in the second as they won Europe’s elite competition for the second time in their history.
Rudiger, an influential figure in the first-team ever since Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard, revealed the striker “pinched” him during the game before an on-pitch clash.
.
“I don’t go into the game saying I’m going to do this or do that,” he said.
“It’s just in the moment it happens. Like in this incident with Suarez, he pinched me on my leg.
‘It’s not that I want to play or something like this, because he’s also I think a master of the dark side, so you always have to be careful when you play like that because sometimes it goes in your favour and sometimes it doesn’t go in yours.”
