Antonio Rudiger Mask, Chelsea & What The Future Holds…
Fans saw the Antonio Rudiger mask during 2021 after Chelsea’s Champions League semi final against Real Madrid.
A fracture in his jaw led the German international to wear a mask throughout the remainder of the campaign and it was a look he continued sporting into the delayed European Championships.
Picking up the injury in relatively innocuous circumstances, many wondered why the Rudiger mask was a thing, particularly once the Euros rolled round.
Rudiger Mask
After the match with Los Blancos, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel explained Rudiger’s injury.
He said, “He has a little bone injury on the side of the face. The collision [with Alvaro Odriozola] at the very end of the game was a bit unlucky.”
When the mask was still in use at the European Championships, Rudiger was unsure how long he would have to keep wearing it.
The Chelsea defender said, “It’s still there for protection. I’ll have to see what the Chelsea doctors say when I get back to London.”
Thankfully for Rudiger, he was free from the mask by preseason. Any player donning protective face wear is a topic of much amusement for those on social media, and Rudiger joins a large group of Chelsea players who have had to play with a mask for a sustained period.
It’s become something of a tradition at Stamford Bridge with Fernando Torres, John Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Cesar Azpilicueta and Nemanja Matic all playing through facial injuries in recent years.
The German has emerged as one of the best defenders in the world under Tuchel’s stewardship, and it is symbolic of his never-say-die attitude that he continued to compete even after a broken bone in his face.
Rudiger has been the warrior of this Chelsea side over the last year or so. While his style of play can sometimes cross the line from enthusiastic to rule-breaking, there’s no doubt he’s a nuisance to play against.
Rudiger mask stories are in the rear view mirror for now, but the Roma defender has been at the centre of the transfer rumour cycle. With a contract expiring at the end of the 2021-22 season, Rudiger has been in discussions with many of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Rudiger Set To Leave Chelsea
He’s unable to extend his deal at Chelsea until the club has new owners.
Having exercised patience, news broke on Saturday April, 23rd that the Germany international will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. Fabrizio Romano reported that he’s close to an agreement with Real Madrid.
Simon Johnson of The Athletic delivered the initial news that Rudiger is leaving the club. For several weeks, it has been clear that there is a considerable gap between Chelsea’s contract offer and what Rudiger and his team have in mind.
Johnson reported, “The Athletic has been told that Chelsea — who were determined to make Rudiger the highest paid defender in their history — in February offered a four-year deal worth £230,000-a-week, plus a signing on fee.
“It was still less than what some other clubs were prepared to pay, however, with offers worth in excess of £290,000-a-week made to the Germany international.”
This free agent saga has been covered across Europe. It’s no secret that Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus have been interested. Johnson added that Barcelona and PSG have made contact too, while Manchester United are ‘also keen’.
Apparently, Rudiger was willing to take a smaller contract than others were offering to stay at Chelsea, but the Blues’ complex situation right now has forced his hand.
Chelsea are not currently permitted to extend contracts, and it’s uncertain what the new owners would be willing to offer the Germany international.
Chelsea’s Defensive Crisis
Rudiger’s departure leaves Chelsea in a difficult spot. Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta are also free agents at season’s end. Malang Sarr has often been a weak link in Premier League matches.
The decision to sell Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori are under the microscope right now. Both have impressed at their new clubs, and at least one of them would be in line to start in 2022-23 if they had remained with Chelsea.
Providing the club has fresh owners before the summer, they will be able to do transfer business, but this is a defensive crisis at the moment. Chelsea will not be in a strong negotiating position when it comes to pursuing new central defenders.
The Blues have been linked with Jules Kounde in the past – those rumours are bound to resurface in coming weeks.
Alessandro Bastoni and Pau Torres have also been tabbed as possible targets, but the feasibility of these deals depends on the willingness to spend of the new owners.
In fact, Guehi and Tomori are the sort of signings that would make a lot of sense for Chelsea right now.
There have been unforeseen circumstances at the club in recent months, but with hindsight, the call to let both their young defensive talents leave the club permanently was a huge mistake.
