Antonio Rudiger joins Real Madrid from Chelsea: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Antonio Rudiger is all set to ply his trade at Real Madrid from the 2022-23 season onwards. On Thursday, Real Madrid announced the signing of Rudiger on a four-year deal. Notably, Premier League giants Chelsea tried renewing Rudiger's contract but the player turned down the offer. He has joined Los Blancos on a free transfer. Here we decode Rudiger's stats at Chelsea.
Rudiger
I'm super excited for all the challenges ahead, says Rudiger
Rudiger will be earning £340,000 per week and Real have decided to present him as their player at a ceremony on June 20. Rudiger said he is super excited to join Real. "I'm proud to announce that I'll be joining Real Madrid. I'm super excited for all the challenges ahead and can't wait to play my first games for this huge club.," he tweeted.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Last month Sky Sports had reported that Rudiger chose Real Madrid after rejecting Chelsea's new offer. He preferred the 14-time European winners over a host of other elite clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Manchester United. Rudiger had established himself as a leading defender at Chelsea and was admired by everyone. The German will hope to enjoy a lot of success with Real Madrid.
PL stats
Rudiger's Premier League stats
In 133 Premier League appearances for the Blues, Rudiger helped his side keep 53 clean sheets. He scored nine goals and made one assist. He made 172 tackles, 118 interceptions, 390 clearances, and two clearances off the line. Rudiger also made 824 recoveries. He scored two own goals and had two errors leading to goals. Also, he created six big chances.
Stats
Unique numbers for Rudiger
As per Opta, Antonio Rudiger managed to keep a clean sheet in 40% of his Premier League appearances. This is more than any other German player (minimum 30 games). No wonder Rudiger had a titanic presence in front of goal as he played more games for Chelsea since Thomas Tuchel took charge (78) than any other player at the club (as per Squawka).
Success
Rudiger won a host of trophies with Chelsea
Rudiger went on to play 203 matches for the Blues, scoring on 12 occasions. He had joined Chelsea from Italian club AS Roma five years ago. He won the 2018 FA Cup in his first season under Antonio Conte. Thereafter, he won the Europa League glory under Maurizio Sarri. Under Tuchel, he won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.