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Former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger spoke about his admiration for Thomas Tuchel in a recent interview with GOAL. The German duo were at Chelsea in 2021 and most of 2022.
Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard at Chelsea in January 2021 and revived Rudiger's career. Speaking about his frustration at Chelsea before Tuchel's arrival, he said:
“I really wanted to leave. I wanted to go. I wanted to go to PSG with Thomas Tuchel, that was my wish. But it was not like that, and six months later, Tuchel arrived at Chelsea from PSG. Then, we won the Champions League together."
He added:
“It probably should be like that. I had many good coaches. If I had to choose one right now, it would be Thomas Tuchel. I got along particularly well with him.
"His honest nature suited me. I fit better into his idea of football, and he also appreciated me a lot as a person."
Speaking about his dream of joining Real Madrid, he said:
"I dreamed of playing for Madrid, but it was never in my head to be able to do it. For me, the Premier League was the ultimate goal.
"I definitely wanted to play in the Premier League, having done so for important clubs like Chelsea, and also for Real Madrid, it is a privilege for all the hard work I have done over the years."
Rudiger joined Real Madrid in 2022 after running down his contract at Chelsea.
Jamie Carragher gives his take on Liverpool vs Chelsea EFL Cup final
In his final season at Chelsea, Rudiger's team lost cup finals (FA and EFL) to Liverpool. Two years later, the Blues are back in the final of the EFL Cup and will yet again face the Reds.
Ahead of the final, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said that he reckons the Reds will win 2-1:
“I’ll go with 2-1 to Liverpool. I think it will be tight. I don’t care, just win it. It won’t be like Anfield. They (the Blues) should be better, and the pitch is a lot better, it will be more difficult to press than it is at Anfield because the pitch is tighter."
Chelsea and Liverpool last faced off on January 31 at Anfield. The Reds won that game 4-1.
