"Real Madrid does not come knocking often" - Antonio Rudiger reveals why he left Chelsea in 2022

Antonio Rudiger has explained that he left Chelsea for Real Madrid as the Premier League side delayed contract talks. He added that the call from Los Blancos was not something that came often and he decided to jump.

Speaking to The Inside Scoop, Rudiger stated that he was at the peak of his career and knew that there was a chance of moving to Real Madrid. He added that the delay on Chelsea contract talks changed his mind on staying:

"There was a massive period of no talks, sometimes you have in your mind okay let's not get injured but I didn't do this, I was still playing at my best. I also knew in my mind that the Champions League we won can be my ticket to the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid does not come knocking often."

Rudiger also wrote in the Players' Tribune that the contract talks played a huge role in his exit. He added that the sanctions played a part, but he had nothing bad to say about the London club. He said:

"Unfortunately, my contract negotiations had already started to get difficult last fall. Business is business, but when you don't hear any news from the club from August to January, the situation becomes complicated. 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."

Antonio Rudiger played 203 matches for Chelsea – the most he has played for any club. He scored 12 times for the Blues and won the UEFA Champions League with them.

Real Madrid star Antonio Rudiger still follows Chelsea matches whenever he can

Antonio Rudiger has admitted that he still watches Chelsea matches whenever he can. He claimed that the Blues have a lot of talent and he is happy for Nicolas Jackson.

The German added that he is surprised by Cole Palmer and said during the aforementioned interview:

"I always watch their games when I can, they have a lot of talent, wow, I bet some clubs wish they can spend this much and have those players, I'm very happy especially for Nicolas Jackson, overall he is fantastic and now he is getting his goals, Cole Palmer surprised me a lot, hats off to him."

Chelsea played Gent on Thursday night and defeated them 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in the UEFA Conference League.