A real Berlin boy: Madrid star Antonio Rüdiger was born in the capital and grew up in the Neukölln district Photo: picture alliance / Sportphoto24/Sportinfoto
From the BZ editorial team
The Spanish capital meets the German capital. Real Madrid against Union Berlin for the first time in the Champions League!
Guess who has the only native Berliner in the starting eleven today? At Real!
Defender Antonio Rüdiger (30) was born in Neukölln and learned to kick at VfB Sperber Neukölln – just seven kilometers as the crow flies from Union’s An der Alten Försterei stadium.
Only: The national player was neither at Union nor at Hertha BSC. He started his professional career through Zehlendorf (BVB, Stuttgart, AS Roma, Chelsea, Real).
Where are the “real” Berliners from Union?
The homegrown players Aljoscha Kemlein (19) and Yannic Stein (19) only sit on the bench as so-called “local players”.