Rüdiger: “I don’t have to play every match at Real Madrid because of the quality squad”

Just as happened before the first meeting with RB Leipzig, Antonio Rüdiger was again the player selected for the pre-match press conference ahead of the match against the German side. Asked what he thinks about the Bundesliga club, he said: “They’re a good team and have many young and pacey players, as well as a real star in Timo Werner, who I know really well.”

Rüdiger on his start to life at Real Madrid

Discussing his first few months as a Real Madrid player, the centre-back said: “I am satisfied with my performances so far. I’m in good form and I know I don’t have to play every match because we have so much quality in the squad. I’m happy with how it’s going. The results are good and we’ve done well to already take 10 points this Champions League season.”

Rüdiger on the Ballon d’Or

Asked about Karim Benzema’s Ballon d’Or win and his own ranking of 25th, he said: “Benzema deserved to win that Ballon d’Or as he had the best season of any player last year. For me, it was my first time on the shortlist, which was nice, but it doesn’t really change anything for me.”

Rüdiger on his relationship with Vinícius

Asked about Vinícius, Rüdiger revealed that the Brazilian is helping him learn the local language. He said: “He’s like a little brother for me. He helps me to speak better Spanish. We manage to understand each other. He is performing well and his consistency is important for the team. I think he can win the Ballon d’Or in the future.”

Rüdiger on Kroos’ potential retirement

Rüdiger knows Toni Kroos well and was asked if he thinks his compatriot will keep playing beyond this season and also how big a loss it is for Germany that the midfielder has already retired from international football. To that, Rüdiger said: “For me, he is a legend of Real Madrid and he is respected at the club. I don’t know much about his situation. I know he is enjoying his football, but it’ll depend on him if he stays or not. With Germany, I played with him a few games and he makes a huge difference. We’ll miss him at the World Cup.”