Rudiger talks Endrick, Julian Alvarez, Atletico penalty, Arsenal, Real Madrid transfer | OneFootball

In a recent interview with Alkass TV, Antonio Rudiger has opened up about his time at Real Madrid and the season so far.

The veteran defender notably talked about the matches against Atletico Madrid as well as Arsenal, Real Madrid’s upcoming opponent in the UEFA Champions League.

But first and foremost, the defender talked about joining Real Madrid and how it was a no-brainer to accept the offer from Los Blancos.

“When an offer comes from Real Madrid, you can’t think twice,” he said. “When you join Real Madrid, I think you come to win the Champions League.”

Needless to say, Rudiger has certainly lived up to the billing, notably winning his first Champions League title with Real Madrid last season.

Talking about the best match he

has had at Real Madrid, the defender mentioned Manchester City and facing Erling Haaland. “I’ve played many matches, but I think facing Haaland for the first time changed everything for me at Real Madrid,” he said.

As for his worst outing for Real Madrid, the veteran admitted, “The loss in El Clasico.”

Despite losing twice to Barcelona this season, Rudiger, though, admitted that the most difficult striker he has faced in the Spanish league so far has been Julian Alvarez.

When asked about Alvarez’s controversial penalty, he said, “Honestly, I saw it from the start, but the referee went back to ‘VAR’ and decided not to award the penalty, so I don’t understand the controversy we’re talking about here.”

Speaking of Atletico Madrid, Rudiger offered his thoughts and how perceives the idea of the Madrid derby.

“The Madrid Derby is where two rivals from the same city compete, and the fans of both teams really don’t like each other. You have to prepare well to win,” he said.

Real Madrid did recently beat Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League this season, with Rudiger notably scoring the final penalty in the shootout that helped Los Blancos seal a narrow and rather controversial win.

Rudiger has been a rock at the back for Real Madrid (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Talking about the final penalty, Rudiger admitted that he took the responsibility in order to shield Endrick.

“I took responsibility for the fifth penalty kick against Atletico Madrid to protect Endrick because he’s a young kid and might be psychologically affected if he missed it,” he said.

Rudiger also talked about his muscle injury in February which saw him miss key matches. Reflecting on his injury, the defender said:

“The injury deprived me of two decisive matches against Atletico Madrid and Manchester City away from home, but sometimes you have to look at it in a positive way.“

The veteran defender is back in full flow, though, and is looking forward to the upcoming Champions League clash against Arsenal, in the quarterfinals.

“Arsenal are a great team, and we will definitely have two very exciting matches against them, but the good thing is that the return match will be at our stadium,” he said.

Rudiger has a fair idea about Arsenal, having played a great deal of football in England with Chelsea. However, the defender pointed out how region doesn’t matter when facing an opponent in the UCL.

“In reality, it doesn’t depend on the opponent. Whether you face an English or an Italian team, it depends on drawing up your game plan and trying to execute it,” he said.

The former Stuttgart defender also talked about Germany’s failure at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, he doesn’t see the tournament in a bad light.

“For me, nothing has changed. I had a very good impression of Qatar in 2022 and that hasn’t changed since then,” he said when asked about the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“It’s true that we didn’t win the World Cup in Qatar, but I enjoyed a wonderful experience here with my family, and that’s what matters most,” he added.

Rudiger went on to talk about his personal game while also touching upon some aspects of his personal life, notably hailing ‘Ronaldo, the phenomenon’ as one of his idols.

Speaking of idols, Rudiger was asked about his childroom dream. “It was more about my family, to get them out of poverty, but if I said it was a dream, I’d be lying,” he answered.

Talking about his style of play, the defender admitted, “It’s true that I’m a fierce player and I love physical confrontations, but I always respect the rules of the game.”

Antonio Rudiger will play a key role for Real Madrid during the final phase of the campaign (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

This statement comes in the midst of UEFA sanctioning Rudiger with a fine and a suspension after the German was seen making gestures after the Atletico Madrid win.

Talking about racism, Rudiger said, “I am subjected to racism, but to be honest, those who do it are few.” He was also asked whether or not he has any pre-game rituals, to which he responded, “I don’t have any specific rituals except praying.”

Rudiger was also asked about his personal life and how he is not very action on social media. When asked whether or not he is an introvert, the defender responded, “These are personal matters. Who cares about my wife? Or wants to know what my wife looks like?

“I think it’s important to respect privacy and personal decisions, and besides, my wife doesn’t like being in the spotlight, so why would I force her into it? I think these are personal beliefs, and we’re happy with them.”

Finally, there was a quick rapid fire round with Rudiger, where he picked:

Cristiano Ronaldo over Mesut Ozil

Luka Modric over Mesut Ozil

Carlo Ancelotti over Thomas Tuchel

Jude Bellingham over Jamal Musiala

Sergio Ramos over Carles Puyol

Luka Modric over Andres Iniesta

Manuel Neuer over Thibaut Courtois

Vinicius Junior over Mohamed Salah