Kroos Confronts Matthäus over Rüdiger: Calls Him Crazy, Toni Replies: “Be Careful…”
Antonio Rüdiger became a central figure in the Copa del Rey final clash against Barcelona (3-2). The defender was sent off after the last play of the match, where Kylian Mbappé was called for a foul in attack against Eric García. Rüdiger reacted furiously, attempting to throw an object at the referee, and had to be restrained by several members of Carlo Ancelotti’s coaching staff. But Toni Kroos has stepped up to defend his former teammate.
“He’ll get punished, and it’ll be justified. But let’s not act as if he’s killed someone. We have to be careful not to get swept away by the outrage,” Kroos said during an event for the Icon League, a semi-professional football competition he created in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Kroos acknowledged speaking to Rüdiger after the match and said his compatriot fully realized his mistake. “It was a big mistake, I think the images speak for themselves,” said the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder.
Kroos went even further and took aim at former players like Lothar Matthäus, the Bayern legend, who called for Rüdiger to be kicked out of the national team. “He went crazy because he lost control. He’s a German international and should be a role model. He forgot all that. The punishment should be double digits; if it’s less, he should consider himself lucky. I expect an XXL sanction,” Matthäus said, who was one of Bayern’s biggest stars in the 80s and 90s.
Kroos strongly defended Rüdiger, criticizing the public backlash: “Those who are now crawling out of their caves calling for his removal from the national team… Honestly. Some of them are people who, let’s say, should have been sanctioned themselves back in their day,” he said bluntly, showing full support for his former teammate at both Real Madrid and the German national team.
An Exemplary Punishment
On Tuesday afternoon, the Competition Committee of the Federation decided to suspend Rüdiger for six matches after referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea noted in his report: “In the 120th minute, player Rüdiger Antonio was sent off for the following reason: for throwing an object from the technical area without hitting me. After the red card was shown, he had to be restrained by several coaching staff members while displaying aggressive behavior.”
Rüdiger will miss those matches at the start of next season, as he has undergone surgery on his left knee due to severe osteoarthritis, worsened recently by muscle discomfort. “Our player Antonio Rüdiger has successfully undergone surgery for a partial tear in the outer meniscus of his left leg. The operation was carried out by Dr. Manuel Leyes under the supervision of Real Madrid’s Medical Services. Rüdiger will begin recovery work shortly,” the club announced in a medical statement.
