John Terry and the rest of the Chelsea faithful are overcome with dismay by Antonio Rudiger deciding that he would like to leave the club.
Blues fans have endured a relentless rollercoaster ride this week. On March 24, they collided with long-term rivals West Ham, and the game didn’t disappoint. After Łukasz Fabiański saved Jorginho’s pitiful penalty, it looked like the home side would have to settle for a draw.
But in the 90th minute, a Marcos Alonso cross found its way to the feet of Christian Pulisic. The American fired it home to send the Stamford Bridge crowd wild. With Chelsea looking to defend third place from Arsenal, the late goal was vital.
But as players and fans celebrated their dramatic victory, the manager prepared to break the news that would sour an otherwise positive afternoon.
Read: Max Verstappen had a brilliant reaction to Lewis Hamilton Chelsea bid news.
Thomas Tuchel confirms that Antonio Rudiger is leaving the club
After the match, the German revealed that Chelsea’s premier centre-back has decided to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
In an interview with Sky Sports, he said: “The situation is that he wants to leave the club. He informed me of this in a private talk. We gave everything – me and the club – but we could not fight anymore because of the actions. Without the sanctions, we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but our hands are tied. We don’t take it personally. It is his decision.
“He is a key figure and will stay that way until the end of the season. But it is disappointing. We will miss him a lot. He gives courage in the dressing room. The kind everyone is afraid of, but the kind to play 50-55 games at an outstanding level. He is a top defender in the last one-and-a-half years for me. We then need to find another solution.”
With the current sanctions placed on Chelsea due to Roman Abramovich’s association with Vladimir Putin, the club will struggle to replace him. And Terry can’t believe they’ve let him slip through the cracks.
John Terry reacts to Antonio Rudiger leaving the club
The former Chelsea captain is undeniably one of the best defenders in the history of the Premier League. So if he’s gutted that you’re leaving, you know you’ve made a significant impact at the club. The legend took to Instagram to express his concern.
He posted three see-no-evil monkey emojis followed by: “How have we let this man go?”
Although Chelsea fans are gutted by the news, they’ll have to watch him play his football in a different jersey next season. Clubs like Manchester United and PSG have already begun hunting him down, but it looks like one team has the edge.
As per The Daily Mail, Rudiger has agreed on a deal with Real Madrid, which will see him earn more than he ever did in London.
Featured image credit: Getty