Antonio Rüdiger, who joined Real Madrid from Chelsea, has been introduced as a new player. Sergio López de Vicente examines the lives of the German.
Antonio Rüdiger could write a lengthy and gripping autobiography about his life, from his early struggles to his forays into the world of football, to the promise he made to his mother, and, perhaps as the final chapter, the realization of his dream of founding an NGO to assist those in need in Sierra Leone. Rüdiger is a multi-talented athlete. Those who know him describe him as a person of enormous warmth and gentleness, despite the fact that when he's on the field, he becomes quite the opposite.
These are six facts about the Real Madrid signing that you may not have known.
A difficult childhood
Rüdiger was born in Berlin, Germany, to a Sierra Leonean father and a German mother. She had to depart Sierra Leone during the civil strife in the 1990s. Rüdiger was born and raised in Neukölln, an area in Berlin with a large proportion of first- and second-generation immigrants. Money was scarce, but his parents did everything they could for him; for example, they were able to buy their son a football shirt with the name of George Weah, his boyhood favorite, after saving for a long period. He wore it almost every day to training.Rüdiger's mother was was unable to provide him with the funds he required for a school trip, and he recalls this as a pivotal time in his life. Despite their financial difficulties, she was always eager to assist him, whether it was by accompanying him to football practice or by attempting to purchase anything he need for school or training. "Mum, one day all of this sacrifice will be worth it," he promised her after signing as a junior player with Borussia Dortmund. It's a pledge none of them will ever forget.
'Rambo' is his nickname.
While a lovely guy off the pitch, his temperament turns as he crosses the white line. He's a player who has always gone into battle with all guns blazing. His aggressive playing style earned him the moniker 'Rambo' at the Berlin academy where he trained as a youth. It's a label he's never shied away from, and one with which he's still connected.
Agent and half-brother
Unlike Lionel Messi, who has his father as his agency, and Mauro Icardi, who has his wife as his agent, Rüdiger has entrusted his career to his half-brother, Sahr Senesie. Senesie played football as well, but now concentrates solely on player management.He played for Hoffenheim briefly, but spent the majority of his career with Dortmund, where he made over 110 appearances for both the first and second teams. He also represented Germany at the age-group level, but he was never called up to the senior team.
Anti-racism battles
Rüdiger's first encounter with racism occurred when he was a child. He attempted to assist a woman struggling with her shopping bags when he was eight years old. He recalls her looking at him with horror in her eyes as he approached her, and she began to scream for assistance, assuming he was going to rob her. Rüdiger faced prejudice when playing for Roma in Italy, most notably during a Rome derby in which Lazio fans hurled racial obscenities at him.
"He's always on edge, a little over-motivated at times, but that's how I like it." As a player, I admire him much. People just see his aggression, but the way he plays football... he's a gentleman."
In Sierra Leone, there is a lot of charity work going on.
Rüdiger founded Antonio Rüdiger For Sierra Leone, an NGO that aids disadvantaged people in his mother's homeland, a few years ago. The organization's goal is to offer the necessary financial resources to guarantee that people have access to higher education, more equality, and improved infrastructure. During the covid-19 epidemic, for example, Rüdiger's foundation organized a 2020 charity drive that included sportsmen like Olivier Giroud and Mesut zil and resulted in the donation of 60,000 face masks in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
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