I was never very clear about the suitability of his signing for Madrid. It seemed like a risky bet, a leap into the void without a net. That could only end in total success or in a fiasco of the kind that will be remembered for years, with no option for a middle ground. After seeing him play in two consecutive ties with Chelsea against Madrid, I thought that he was a solid, agile and intimidating defender, although somewhat prone to error and confusion. He believed that he was the typical center back who could shine playing in a defense of five, but who would suffer less supported, and his shortcomings could be seen. And I also thought, I’m not going to hide, that he had escaped from the sanatorium in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. Nothing could be further from the truth. Oblivious to doubts and prejudices, Antonio Rüdiger has become Real Madrid’s main certainty for some time now. It is Ancelotti’s bulletproof vest when he decides to take certain risks. His last two seasons in white are splendid, almost bordering on perfection. Serious, reliable, forceful and carrying the team on his back just when he was suffering the most from his eternal plague of injuries. But he has not limited himself to being just a sober and useful defender: he has managed to score important goals with his head and even join the attack with surprising success (remember that left-footed pass to Joselu, almost acting as a winger in the comeback against the Bayern). In the double achieved last year, Bellingham, Vinicius, Kroos, Joselu, Lunin and Courtois are often cited as its main architects, but not so much a Rüdiger who from the rearguard was the one who supported the team in a way consistent all year round. He has always been called an eccentric and crazy player, but he is hardly remembered for an outburst or an excessive tackle (apart from slapping his own teammates). He is sober and clean when he plays, but he also knows how to intimidate and keep the most aggressive forwards at bay (like his now famous dog-face duels with Haaland). There is method in their madness. In Montilivi, Madrid managed to keep a clean sheet. Although, for a change, they came out with more injured players than goals conceded. However, Rüdiger is still standing there. The last boy scout. He plays everything, helps his teammates and runs until the last minute. Although he doesn’t win the headlines or the MVP trophies, Antonio is the big name of this Madrid.
#Javier #Aznar #talk #Antonio
