Real Madrid have officially presented Antonio Rudiger after signing him on a free transfer from Chelsea. The German centre-back performed his medical at Valdebebas earlier in the afternoon before being presented to the world’s media by president Florentino Perez.
Rudiger is a stellar acquisition. The 29-year-old defender was a key part of a Chelsea team that won everything there is to win aside from the Premier League – he won the FA Cup, the Champions League, the Europa League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge. He has earned 53 caps for Germany.
Madrid won both La Liga and the Champions League this season just gone. They finished 13 points ahead of Barcelona in the former while went on one of the all-time great runs in the latter to eventually win the trophy in Paris – they knocked out Paris Saint-Germain, Rudiger’s Chelsea, Manchester City and then Liverpool to claim their 14th European Cup.
And not just is Madrid’s signing of Rudiger a coup from a sporting perspective – it also serves as a blow to their greatest rivals. “There was interest from Barcelona, but I told my brother that it was Real Madrid or nothing,” Rudiger said as carried by Mundo Deportivo.
Wonder why.
Maybe its the lure of CL football over EL football. Preposterous.