'I didn't kill him!' - Antonio Rudiger defends himself against 'exaggerated' response to kneeing Getafe star's face in Real Madrid loss

The centre-back has faced intense criticism for appearing to drive his knee into the opponent's face in the 1-0 loss to Getafe on March 2, avoiding punishment from the referee. Speaking ahead of Real Madrid's crucial Champions League clash with Manchester City, Rudiger maintained that while the optics were poor, his intentions were never malicious.

Rudiger told reporters: "Everyone saw the images and they were terrible but if you see the play itself, I'm not going to argue but I didn't kill him." 

Despite the backlash, Rudiger believes the public discourse has shifted into the realm of hyperbole. He argued that his physical style of play is often misinterpreted by those watching from the sidelines. he added "I don't think you should exaggerate the contact. If I had the intention, he doesn't get up off the ground".

The former Chelsea man was adamant that he did not set out to injure his opponent, stating: "It was never my intention to hurt him. I like to be tough when I play but I have my limits that I don't cross, that's why I think the statements are a bit exaggerated but we shouldn't continue with this because everyone saw it".

The controversy was further fuelled by Diego Rico himself, who suggested after the game that he would have received a 10-game suspension had the roles been reversed. Rico claimed the incident was a deliberate act of aggression following a prior scuffle on the pitch. The Getafe defender's anger was echoed by various media figures who described the tackle as one of the most brutal ever seen in the division. While the officials on the night allowed play to continue, the sentiment across the league remained that Real Madrid had benefited from a significant slice of luck regarding the lack of VAR intervention at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Adding weight to the criticism, La Liga’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) eventually admitted that a mistake had been made. During their 'Review Time' program, the CTA admitted that both the on-field official and the VAR room failed to correctly identify what they deemed as violent conduct. They concluded that Rudiger should have been shown a straight red card for the action.

The CTA stated: “For the CTA, it is a matter of violent conduct, since the Real Madrid player throws himself with his knee against a rival lying on the ground, without the option of contesting the ball. As it was an incident not seen by the referee and constituting a clear and manifest error, the VAR should have recommended a review on the monitor to be sanctioned with a direct red card for violent conduct.” Despite this admission, the results of the match stand, and Rudiger remains available for Alvaro Arbeloa's side.