Antonio Rudiger was involved in a heated altercation with the Sporting Braga coaching staff after Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over them in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. After what was a hard-fought win and a physical battle in which Rudiger took no prisoners, the German centre-back got caught up with something after the game.
Rudiger had to be held back by his Real Madrid teammates and then calmed down by Carlo Ancelotti after being enraged with some members of the Braga side. He got up in their faces before referee Michael Oliver took control of things and ordered both sides to head down to each other’s dressing room.
Soon after this incident, Spanish publication Cadena Ser’s journalist Antonio Romero cited Rudiger’s ‘version’ stating that he had been racially abused by a member of the Braga coaching staff. Apparently, an assistant coach had hurled an expletive at the German centre-back which ticked him off and nearly caused him to come to blows with that individual.
Romero’s bombshell caused a stir among the Real Madrid fans, who were understandably infuriated that their players keep on being racially abused in matches with no real punishment. This is after Vinicius Jr has been the victim of constant racial slurs in Spain over the last few years, including the recent match against Sevilla when the opposition fans mocked him.
However, Rudiger decided to cool down all the speculations over what he had been told by the Braga staff and insisted that he was not racially abused. After the game, he rubbished the Spanish reporter’s claims and responded: “It’s all good again guys – I am relaxed. He definitely did not insult me racially, there was just a little dispute after our ways have crossed each other after the final whistle. Let’s focus on Saturday now!!!”
Of course, coming from the official account of the Real Madrid star himself, most fans were glad to be clarified that this kind of dirty thing did not happen in the Champions League clash. Romero, on the other hand, refuses to back down from his claims and insisted that his report was accurate.
Cadena Ser decided to support their journalist’s claims and create another article where his versions were clarified better. It is stated by Romero that someone within Rudiger’s ‘entourage’ had informed him that the German centre-back had been a victim of some kind of racial abuse in the game.
The Spanish journalist states that: “The information comes from someone close to us. The German central defender denies it because he does not want to add fuel to the fire. That is what a person who was there at the time of the incident confirms to us.”
These conflicting claims have made this entire controversy a rather bizarre one where a lot of confusion has risen over exactly whom to believe. Of course, most fans believe Rudiger himself because it was his official Twitter account that had rubbished these claims.
Carlo Ancelotti refused to talk much about that incident or what had happened after the game either. It remains to be seen how this strange saga unravels and if Rudiger really does decide to respond to the journalist doubling down on his claims of racial abuse.
