Rüdiger: ‘I Don’t Have To Play Every Game At Real Madrid Because Of The Quality Selection’
As before the first meeting with RB Leipzig, Antonio Rüdiger was again the selected player for the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against the German side. He asked what he thinks of the Bundesliga club: “They are a good team and have a lot of young and fast players, as well as a real star in Timo Werner, who I know very well.”
Rüdiger on his start at Real Madrid
Speaking about his first few months as a Real Madrid player, the center-back said: “I’m happy with my performance so far. I’m in good shape and I know I don’t have to play every game because we have so much quality in the squad. “I’m happy with how things are going. The results are good and we’ve done well to get 10 points already this Champions League season.”
Rüdiger on the Ballon d’Or
Asked about Karim Benzema’s Ballon d’Or win and his own 25th-place finish, he said: “Benzema deserved to win that Ballon d’Or as he had the best season of all players last year. For me, it was my first time being shortlisted, which was nice, but it doesn’t change anything for me.”
Rüdiger on his relationship with Vinicius
Asked about Vinícius, Rüdiger revealed that the Brazilian helps him learn the local language. He said: “He is like a little brother to me. He helps me to speak better Spanish. We manage to understand each other. He is performing well and his consistency is important for the team. I think he can win the Ballon d’Or in the future.”
Rüdiger on Kroos’ possible retirement
Rüdiger knows Toni Kroos well and was asked if he thinks his compatriot will continue to play after this season and also how significant the loss to Germany is that the midfielder has already retired from international football. Rüdiger said: “For me, he is a legend of Real Madrid and he is respected at the club. I don’t know much about his situation. I know he enjoys his football but it depends on him whether he stays or not “I played a few games with him in Germany and he makes a huge difference. We will miss him at the World Cup.”
