VIDEO: Antonio Rudiger caught on camera SLAPPING Real Madrid kitman in the face in bizarre training ground confrontation

Rudiger has carved a name for himself for his playful goal celebrations, which frequently involve slapping his team-mates. However, the German defender recently extended his slapping habit beyond the pitch. This time, Rudiger’s antics took an unexpected turn when he was seen slapping the team's kitman, Manolin, in the face during training, in a seemingly light-hearted exchange.

The tradition of slapping goal-scorers during celebrations at Real Madrid began with Rudiger, who introduced the idea to the team as a way to inject some humour into their post-goal rituals. Over time, the slapping has become a regular occurrence, with team-mates taking turns slapping one another after finding the back of the net.

Kylian Mbappe was slapped on his head by Rudiger after the forward scored his debut goal against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup. And the Frenchman took revenge after Rudiger scored the second goal during Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Stuttgart in the Champions League by slapping him several times on his back. Vinicius Jr. also did not let off the opportunity and joined Mbappe in the bizarre ritual.

After the match, Mbappe said: “I returned the slaps to Rudiger because he hits me a lot.”

Despite being on the receiving end of numerous slaps, Rudiger isn’t fazed. "If I score more goals, they can keep slapping me, don’t worry," he said. "But they will score, so I will definitely get back at them," Rudiger said with a smile.

Real Madrid will be back in action against Espanyol on Saturday evening and it remains to be seen who becomes the next victim of Rudiger if Los Blancos find the net against their Catalan opponents.