Chelsea’s centre-back and powerhouse, Antonio Rudiger, has sent a heartfelt farewell note to Chelsea ahead of his £315,000-per-week move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The 29-year-old German who underwent a revival of sorts by Thomas Tuchel after falling out of favour with ex-boss, Frank Lampard, has been crucial in Thomas Tuchel’s success since his arrival at Chelsea, clinching the UEFA Champions League, Super Cup, and World Club Cup under him in addition to his past FA Cup and Europa League trophies.
Chelsea had tried to keep Rudiger, having negotiations with his representatives but were unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with the centre-back, allowing Real Madrid who are long admirers of the German to swing in with an enticing offer.
Rudiger confirmed his exit from the club on Wednesday in an open letter to the fans titled “Dear Chelsea”.
“I don’t like goodbyes. But I will try to make this one special, from the heart,” he began.
Concerning his failure to renew his contract at the club, Rudiger said, “Unfortunately, my contact negotiations had already started to get difficult last fall. Business is business, but the situation becomes complicated when you don’t hear any news from the club from August to January.”
“After the first offer, there was a long gap of just nothing. We’re not robots, you know? You cannot wait for months with so much uncertainty about your future. Obviously, no one saw the sanctions coming, but in the end, other big clubs were showing interest, and I had to make a decision. I will leave it at that, because business aside, I have nothing bad to say about this club.”
Rudiger however ended his letter on an emotional note by saying, “Chelsea will always be in my heart. London will always be my home. I came here alone, and now I have a wife and two beautiful kids. I also have a new brother for life named Kova. I have an FA Cup, and a Europa League medal. And of course, I have hundreds of memories that will stay with me forever.”
