Antonio Rudiger has revealed that sanctions placed upon Chelsea were not he reason that he didn't renew his contract at Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a painful defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup final as they fell short on penalties after misses from both Cesar Azpilicueta and Mason Mount.
With a free transfer move to Real Madrid on the horizon, the Germany international spoke after the match to discuss his exit and how he has enjoyed his five years at Stamford Bridge.
What did Rudiger say about his future?
"I don’t want to go too deep into things. There was a chance but sanctions were not the problem," Rudiger told reporters.
Adding about how much he has enjoyed his time in west London, the Germany international said: "It’s been five years with ups and downs as normal. There were a lot of positive things, but that’s why I’m even more frustrated because I wanted to have a different ending [with a cup win].
"It’s about both sides. Chelsea have been great to me and I have been great for Chelsea. I am very, very thankful, both me and my family. I became a man here. My kids were born here and everything. London, and especially Chelsea, will always be special to me."
What did Rudiger say about FA Cup final defeat?
Chelsea have now lost five domestic finals in a row, with the last two having come against Liverpool on penalties.
"I think it was a good game just like the Carabao Cup final. We had chances, they had chances. But at the end of the day we know that penalties are always a lottery and we lost.
"At the end of the day it’s about winning, it’s not about next season. The game was about today and it was there to take. Unfortunately we didn’t [win].
"It’s always difficult to say whether we are lucky or unlucky. Personally for myself it’s the third time [I have lost the FA Cup final] so you can’t always say unlucky, unlucky, unlucky.
"It’s a difficult one to take for myself. These are the questions sometimes, we don’t have an answer for it. I don’t have an answer for it."