Amsterdam (AP) – When things get serious for Hansi Flick, there is no way around Antonio Rüdiger.
The Chelsea FC defender has developed into the defense chief of the national soccer team and is facing his 50th international match in the World Cup test in the Netherlands on Tuesday (8.45 p.m. / ARD). “What I can say is that I’m really happy that we have such a player in our ranks,” national coach Flick praised the 29-year-old before his anniversary. “He always wants to win.”
In the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, Rüdiger is supposed to stop the expected Oranje vortex. Flick relies on the pace of the model athlete. “When you have this speed, it’s always very, very good,” said the DFB head coach. Ruediger was recently declared the fastest player in the English Premier League. 36.7 km/h were stopped. A hundredth of a second quicker than Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.
Rüdiger made his debut in the Adler jersey as a defender for VfB Stuttgart in the 0-0 draw against Poland shortly before the World Cup in May 2014. Three years later he was a permanent member of the young DFB team that won the Confed Cup. The 2018 World Cup was a personal disappointment for Rüdiger with just one appearance. Flick’s predecessor Joachim Löw had him in mind as the man of the future when he sorted out Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng three years ago. In the meantime, Rüdiger has fulfilled the expectations placed in him.
“There’s no need to discuss his quality as a defender. It’s absolutely top,” said Flick. The change to Thomas Tuchel helped at Chelsea. Under the German coach, the native of Berlin became a regular with the Blues again, winning the Champions League and the Club World Cup. And yet the future in London is more uncertain than ever. The contract expires in the summer. An Internet search for potential buyers shows many hits: Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Juventus Turin and Bayern Munich.