Antonio Rudiger joined Real Madrid on a free transfer earlier this month which saw him end his five-year stint at Chelsea.
He joins the Los Blancos who are currently managed by Carlo Ancelotti and will link up with his national teammate Toni Kroos in Spain. But he will also reunite with Eden Hazard, his former teammate at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard left Chelsea in 2019, two years after Rudiger arrived from AS Roma. The pair struck up a relationship but the Belgium opted to leave to complete his dream move to the Bernabeu, albeit it hasn’t fully worked out as of yet due to constant injury setbacks.
Advert
Rudiger is now a teammate of Hazard and reflected on the sad time when he left Chelsea.
Speaking to MARCA following his arrival in Madrid, Rudiger admitted: “The day he left (Chelsea) we were sad, but then I was happy for him, because I knew that Madrid had been his dream since I was a child, he told us. He was a big fan of (Zinedine) Zidane.”
Hazard, 31, made 352 appearances for Chelsea during his time in the English capital, scoring 110 goals and providing 92 assists in the meantime. He was their gem. He hasn’t quite lived up to his price-tag, but Rudiger is hoping Hazard will showcase his true abilities.
Advert
He added: “I hope the Real Madrid fans can see the Hazard I played with, because he was one of the best in the world.”
Rudiger’s departure from Chelsea was down to contract negotiations. Chelsea were unable to offer a new deal following the sanctions imposed on the club, and all previous offers didn’t match his expectations.
The defender insisted the only two options were Real Madrid and Chelsea, but is confident he made the right decision ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Advert
“I received many offers, but I only considered Real Madrid and Chelsea,” continued the Germany international. “When I heard Real Madrid wanted me, I said to myself ‘wow!’ It was incredible.
“I spoke to Ancelotti, he told me that everyone was very happy to have me in Madrid and that makes me very happy.
“I am definitely very happy with the step I have taken.”
Thomas Tuchel wanted to keep hold of Rudiger, a player he has relied on since his arrival back in January 2021 which saw the 29-year-old come back in from the cold to play a key role for the Blues, including their run to Champions League triumph.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Football, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Eden Hazard, Antonio Rudiger
