Ruediger 'must show respect to others' says Germany boss Voeller
Real Madrid defender Antonio Ruediger "has to change and he knows it himself" Germany sporting director Rudi Voeller said on Monday, following the player's behaviour in the Copa del Rey final.
Germany centre-back Ruediger was substituted in extra-time of Sunday's 3-2 Clasico loss to Barcelona before being sent off for throwing an object at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.
The 32-year-old had to be held back from confronting the official by fellow Madrid players and staff as he was shown a red card, with team-mates Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham also dismissed at the end of the game.
"Toni is an exceptional footballer and a very emotional guy, a fighter on the pitch. He has to stay that way," Voeller told German news agency SID, a subsidiary of AFP.
"But in this case, he and some of his team-mates, let themselves be influenced too much by the extremely tense atmosphere around the club," he added.
Before the final, Bengoetxea and VAR referee Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes complained about attacks from Madrid's club television channel on officials this season.
"This can't happen. Especially not as a player for the German national team. He has to change that and he knows it himself, as his public reaction shows," former Germany coach Voeller said.
On Sunday, Ruediger apologised for his actions.
"There's definitely no excuse for my behaviour last night. I'm very sorry for that," Ruediger said on social media.
"After 111 minutes I was not able to help my team anymore and before the final whistle I did a mistake. Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I have disappointed last night," he added.
Voeller said the German international contacted him and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Sunday.
"We discussed the situation for a long time," said Voeller.
He said an exchange also took place internally within the German Football Association (DFB).
"Toni is an excellent player, but as a national team player, he must also show class in his behaviour," Voeller said.
"He rightly demands respect for himself. This respect he must also show to others without exception," the ex-Germany striker added.
- 'Suspend him' -
Other former Germany internationals rushed to voice outrage or support.
Ex-Germany captain Lothar Matthaeus, who holds the national team appearance record, demanded action.
"He lost his mind," Matthaeus told German broadcaster Sky. "He was out of control. I expect a XXL suspension."
Matthaeus pointed out Ruediger was already under scrutiny after receiving a one-match ban from European governing body UEFA for a throat-slitting gesture after netting a penalty in a shootout win over Atletico Madrid in a Champions League victory in March.
Ruediger faces a suspension of between four and 12 matches under Spanish Football Association rules, but SID said he is not expected to be sanctioned by the DFB.
Dieter Hamman, a midfielder who played 59 times for Germany also called for the DFB to act.
"I think the DFB should suspend him. I wouldn't consider him for the Nations League finals, so I would suspend him for two matches," Hamann told German channel Sport 1.
Former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann disagreed.
"He became such a great player because of who he is. And if we try to take that away from him now, he might not be able to reach his full potential. I'm not sure we can afford to do without him," said Lehmann said on Welt TV.
Germany host the final four of the Nations League, and will play a semi-final against Portugal on June 4 in Munich and a final or third-place play-off four days later.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
13 hours ago
- eNCA
England's Tuchel impatient for improvement after dire Andorra display
Thomas Tuchel said he is impatient to see improvement from his England side and believes there is no need to "sugarcoat" criticism after an underwhelming 1-0 victory over minnows Andorra on Saturday. The Three Lions came under fire for their sloppy performance in the World Cup qualifier in Barcelona, where Harry Kane scored the only goal early in the second half. They were booed after struggling to break down a team ranked 173rd in the world even though they extended Tuchel's winning start to three games. "I'm impatient and want to do better," the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss said ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Senegal in Nottingham. "We are thinking about giving the players a little bit more freedom in the structure -- let's see. "Tomorrow we face a more physical and demanding team. On paper it might not look as offensive as we were against Andorra but will give the players more freedom to express themselves and hopefully we see that on Tuesday." A serial winner of major titles, Tuchel was appointed as the third foreign coach of England to great fanfare, but he has so far failed to deliver on the exciting brand of football he promised. His reign began with a 2-0 win over Albania and 3-0 victory against Latvia in March. England captain Kane conceded the Euro 2024 finalists had "got away with one" given their lacklustre performance in front of a small crowd at Espanyol's RCDE Stadium. "I think there was commonsense straight after in the dressing room," said Tuchel. "We underperformed clearly in the physical input in the game which you could see on the sideline and the data. We didn't run enough." The German said he believed in brutal honesty. "I protect my players, I said no names of players," he said. "We as a team didn't match our standards. "I didn't like the last 10 minutes, I felt on the sidelines. We didn't play seriously enough to win it in the end and what we needed to do in a World Cup qualifier. "Everything I say here I say to the players, why should I sugarcoat? There is no harm done, we can have criticism and I believe a group of players in football can speak honestly to each other.
The South African
14 hours ago
- The South African
Orlando Pirates rocked by R84 million snag in dream hire
Orlando Pirates are set to make a huge decision regarding who their next head coach will be. The Buccaneers said goodbye to Jose Riveiro at the end of last season. The Spanish tactician enjoyed an incredible three-year spell at the club in which he won five major trophies. Now, the club are going to begin a new chapter next season under an all-new head coach. READ MORE • Orlando Pirates take stunning Monnapule Saleng decision! READ MORE • Mamelodi Sundowns to dismiss two new signings already! A number of top coaches have been linked with the Buccaneers in recent weeks. The list is headlined by the likes of Pitso Mosimane, Rulani Mokwena and Benni McCarthy. One name who was at the top of the club's list however was German tactician Marco Rose. The former RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Red Bull Salzburg coach was tipped to replace Jose Riveiro. New reports however suggest the high-profile coach won't be coming to Orlando Pirates due to his salary demands! 'Bringing Marco Rose to the PSL would require a significant financial commitment, and at this stage, it appears unlikely. All indications are also that he will continue his coaching career in Europe,' an insider told Soccer Laduma . Rose was earning approximately R4.2 million per month in his previous job at RB Leipzig. READ MORE • Orlando Pirates beat Kaizer Chiefs to star PSL signing! Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@ or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @ TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Sundowns' Matthews relishes Dortmund clash at Club World Cup
'I'm very excited, it's always exciting to play against a former team that I've played for and we know it will be difficult,' he said. Mamelodi Sundowns striker Tashreeq Matthews is relishing the opportunity of facing his former club, Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images) Mamelodi Sundowns striker Tashreeq Matthews is relishing the opportunity of facing his former club, Borussia Dortmund, when the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off later this month. Sundowns have been drawn in Group F, where they will compete against German giants Dortmund, Brazilian outfit Fluminense, and South Korean side Ulsan HD. ALSO READ: Sundowns' Williams optimistic ahead of Club World Cup Matthews previously spent time at Dortmund, featuring for the reserve side but failed to break into the senior squad. Return to SA and Sundowns The former Ajax Cape Town youth product was later loaned to Helsingborgs IF in Sweden before making a permanent move to Varbergs in 2020. After a stint at IK Sirius between 2022 and 2023, Matthews returned to South Africa in January last year to sign a long-term deal with Sundowns. Speaking at the OR Tambo International Airport ahead of the team's departure for the United States on Sunday, the 24-year-old spoke about the prospect of playing his former team. 'I'm very excited, it's always exciting to play against a former team that I've played for and we know it will be difficult,' he said. 'If you look at all the teams from around the world, I would say it'll be difficult for any team. Most of them (former Dortmund teammates) are on loan. 'Some of them are transferred to other teams but I think there's one or two that are still with the team. The guys that work there, some I'm still in contact with.' Matthews also addressed the disappointment of missing out on CAF Champions League glory, following a narrow defeat to Egypt's Pyramids FC in the final last Sunday. 'It was obviously a disappointment and the defeat was a very hard one. A few days after it's still the worst but at the end of the day we have another competition that we're in and we are going to do our best,' he concluded. 'Brotherhood' 'Before I joined Sundowns, I obviously heard about the team but when I arrived, I saw how much more of a team Sundowns are and the brotherhood that we share with each other is what makes us much more stronger.' ALSO READ: Orlando Pirates release Chiefs-linked defender Sundowns will open their campaign with a testing fixture against Ulsan on June 17, followed by a clash with Dortmund three days later. They will round off the group stage against Fluminense.
