Real Madrid News
Former Barcelona midfielder defends Real Madrid star’s lengthy ban – ‘He crossed the line’
Antonio Rudiger did not earn himself any favours with his actions on the sidelines during the recent Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
The German star, after all, threw an object in the direction of the on-field referee and had to be held back by his teammates and staff. His actions have earned him a six-game ban which extends across competitions in Spain.
Rudiger is thus out for the rest of the league season and will also miss the first match of the next campaign. He has now made use of the same time to undergo a much-needed knee surgery and may be available in time for the FIFA Club World Cup.
Gundogan speaks on Rudiger
Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan knows the Real Madrid star well from their time together in the German national team.
Speaking to the media on the defender’s situation, the former Barcelona midfielder gave an in-depth analysis of how Rudiger was wrong.
“When you have Toni (Rudiger) on your team, you think it’s great; when you have him as an opponent, it’s super annoying,” he said.
“That’s just his style on the field. Toni (Rudiger) is emotional; in exceptional cases, such as in the cup final, unfortunately, he crossed the line,” Gundogan added, admitting that Rudiger was at fault.
“There is no doubt that it was a big mistake,” he added.
The former Barcelona star then went on to state that Rudiger deserves the punishment that has been handed to him.
“Toni (Rudiger) will be sanctioned with 100% of the sanction. That should be enough. Now he has to go through the fire.”
While he did side against the defender for his recent actions, Gundogan did not hold back in praising the Real Madrid star for his character and spoke on how it is to be on a team with Rudiger, saying:
“When you have Toni with all his strength and passion on the team, you can get a lot out of him on the field, even celebrating it: I experienced it myself in the national team with him.”
“He helps the team, and our fans consider him exceptional. Sometimes, one doesn’t work without the other,” he added.
On Rudiger’s inherent nature and how he was not always as aggressive as he showed on the field against Barcelona, he noted:
“I know Toni very well. I would never question his character; I respect him very much. He has helped me a lot in the conversations; I know Toni as a family man.”
Finally, the German midfielder called for the veteran to be prepared to face the music for his drama on the sidelines.
“Toni now has to bear the consequences, either in the sporting field or with public opinion, especially in Germany.”
Source: MARCA
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
