The German national soccer player Antonio Rüdiger wanted to leave Chelsea in the direction of Paris Saint-Germain during his time under coach Frank Lampard.

"I wasn't in the squad anymore. They said I should go, but I was never told that directly," said the 29-year-old in an interview with the streaming service "DAZN" about his difficult 2020/21 season at Stamford Bridge. "I was ready to go," assured Rüdiger. His goal: coach Thomas Tuchel and the French series champion PSG.

"When there was a crisis under Lampard at the end, he relied on me again," said the defender. At the beginning of 2021, Tuchel took over Lampard's job. Rüdiger stayed and became a fixture - and Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League right away under Tuchel in 2021.

He hadn't really believed in this triumph himself at the time. "I couldn't have imagined that, I'll say that honestly. The last thing we dreamed of was this final," said Rüdiger.

During this time, the tall international central defender of the English team managed not only to gain a place in the starting lineup of the Blues, but also to develop into a great footballer, who is currently considered one of the top in his position.

After five years at Stamford Bridge, the native of Berlin is now drawn to Real Madrid. According to one report, the defender has signed a four-year contract with the Spanish champions.