Antonio Rudiger has given an explanation for why, despite strong interest from Paris Saint-Germain, he decided to sign with Real Madrid last summer.
When it became clear that Rudiger would not be extending his five-year contract with Chelsea last summer, most European teams, notably Real Madrid and PSG, started to show interest in him.
The 30-year-old was surrounded by French powerhouses, but he already knew which club he would be joining next.
Fast forward, the German defender inked a four-year deal with Los Blancos in June last year, rejecting PSG in the process. When quizzed on his decision to join Madrid amid links to PSG, Rudiger told Canal+Afrique, as quoted by Tribuna:
“There were a lot of rumours when PSG came, it was something I was not looking for.
He continued: “It’s nothing against PSG. It’s a beautiful club. But Real Madrid is Real Madrid. If you want to be on the winning side, you join Real Madrid.”
Since moving to Madrid, Rudiger has already added the UEFA Super Cup to his collection of trophies and could add the Champions League and the Copa del Rey this season after becoming a mainstay in Carlo Ancelotti’s set-up, racking up over 40 appearances under his belt, per Transfermarkt.
Why Rudiger chose Real Madrid
Rudiger also shed light on how Real Madrid president Florentino Perez convinced him to join the Spanish side with a heartwarming gesture seven years ago.
Rudiger suffered an ACL injury in 2016 while at Italian Serie A outfit AS Roma. But while he was recuperating from the injury setback, the unthinkable unfolded right before his eyes when he received a surprise letter from Perez wishing him a speedy recovery.
The heartwarming gesture by Perez startled the former Chelsea centre-half, leaving him convinced he will don the all-white outfit of Los Blancos in the future.
How Rudiger deals with pressure at Madrid
Earlier, Sports Brief reported on how Antonio Rudiger deals with pressure at Real Madrid.
The hard-tackling central defender swapped Chelsea for Madrid last summer, and despite struggling to secure a permanent berth in Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup at the start of the season, he has grown in leaps and bounds.
When quizzed on how he has managed to deal with the ever-demanding nature of the club’s fanbase, the 30-year-old suggested he devised a mechanism that helps him.