Real Madrid defender reveals the nickname he uses for Jose Mourinho | OneFootball

Nico Schlotterbeck’s injury has seen the spotlight glow brighter on Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger at the FIFA World Cup.

The veteran defender has now emerged as a starter with the young centre-back injured and even played all ninety minutes in Germany’s game against Ecuador last night which ended in a 2-1 defeat.

While the result indeed comes as a blow, Germany have secured the top spot in their group and will advance to the knockouts with a relatively favourable draw.

Rudiger’s fond comment

Speaking to DAZN via Mundo Deportivo in a recent interview, the Real Madrid defender was once again asked what he felt about Jose Mourinho’s signing as the team’s new manager.

The German centre-back, with no hesitation, went on to make a quote that has gone viral for all the right reasons, especially the fondness with which he called the Portuguese tactician.

“Excited about Mourinho? Let’s think about the World Cup and then I’ll go with my father,” he said.

Rudiger refers to Mourinho as ‘father’. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

For him to call his ‘father’ needless to say, signals warmth and a sense of comfort between the player and the man who is set to be his club-level manager in just over a month.

Uniting for the first time

While Rudiger’s comments suggest that he has worked with Mourinho in the past to have that level of closeness, the fact of the matter is that the Portuguese manager and the German star have never crossed paths before.

The centre-back came close to playing under Mourinho on a couple of occasions, but always missed it by a whisker. 

Back in 2013, the manager returned to Chelsea for his second stint at the club and Rudiger played for VfB Stuttgart at the time when Mourinho scouted him and flagged him as a target.

Rudiger has not played under Mourinho. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

The move never unfolded and the manager was sacked from Chelsea in 2015, only for Rudiger to join the same club in 2017.

Notably, he was a target for Mourinho’s Manchester United in 2016 as well but the move never happened.

Further, the player was at AS Roma for two years between 2015 and 2017, and Mourinho himself arrived at the same club a few years after the player moved to Chelsea. The circle, needless to say, is fascinating.