On probation under Nagelsmann, idolised at Real Madrid: Antonio Rüdiger must shine in a completely new role with the DFB

Rüdiger’s most recent appearance in the German national team jersey was on 7 September, when they beat Northern Ireland 3–1. Just a few days earlier, the Berlin-born player had put in what was arguably his weakest performance of his 81 international appearances during the humiliating 2–0 defeat to Slovakia in the World Cup qualifiers: The Real Madrid star played a key role in both goals conceded. Alongside the unfortunate Nnamdi Collins, he was the worst of the worst and simply unworthy of being a DFB defensive leader.

A performance that Nagelsmann is likely to have remembered, as the national coach appears to have already found a different centre-back pairing for the World Cup. In his major interview with kicker at the start of March, he hinted that he particularly fancies the Schlotterbeck/Tah combination: “I think they’ve done very well and are also very solid in the league. Jona had a difficult start at Bayern, but he’s been very consistent since then. And Schlotti is, as I’ve already said, an extremely important player for us.”

In any case, Rüdiger will start on the bench for Friday’s friendly against Switzerland, as the national team manager announced on Thursday evening.

In this regard, Schlotterbeck benefits from his unique position in the DFB squad, as Nagelsmann himself emphasised: "He is currently our only left-footed player and we’ve already had huge problems in our build-up play when he hasn’t played." This means that Rüdiger is effectively only competing with Tah for a starting place at the World Cup – and Tah is, after all, a key figure and key player in one of Europe’s best teams at the moment.

Nagelsmann did praise Rüdiger for his one-on-one skills and his ability in tight spaces: "He’s exceptionally good at that, a really strong tackler." At the same time, however, he made it clear that he needs a fully fit Rüdiger: "Antonio has to be 100 per cent fit and healthy. If he has niggles, which he’s had from time to time with us too, he won’t reach his full potential, and that doesn’t make sense. But he’s well on the way.”

Rüdiger certainly backed up the latter with a rock-solid performance in the Champions League round of 16 against Manchester City. In the first leg, he once again marked his "favourite opponent" Erling Haaland, who failed to register a single shot on goal.

In the past, Rüdiger also held the role of defensive leader in the national team. However, Nagelsmann is currently unwilling to guarantee him that position: "It’s not set in stone and depends largely on his performance." Nagelsmann is far from "always naming this classic defensive leader; it’s a matter of the overall structure".

Rüdiger’s injury problems are undoubtedly one of the main reasons why he has slipped down the pecking order in the DFB squad. He had to miss all four of the qualifying matches following that victory over Northern Ireland due to injury. The cause was a thigh injury that cost him a whopping 19 matches at Real Madrid. Shortly afterwards, in January 2026, he suffered another knee injury that sidelined him for almost a month once again. He is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, losers of the sluggish World Cup qualifying phase.

Injuries have been a recurring theme throughout Rüdiger’s career: at VfB Stuttgart he had meniscus problems, at AS Roma he tore his cruciate ligament, at Chelsea FC he was plagued by a groin injury, and at Real Madrid he is now once again suffering from thigh and knee problems. And all this at the worst possible time, with the season’s final stretch and the World Cup looming!

Real Madrid’s management have long been aware of this issue. Since his recovery, Rüdiger has indeed become a regular fixture in manager Alvaro Arbeloa’s central defence, and the Blancos plan to extend his contract – which expires in the summer – by a further year – though on one condition. According to Mundo Deportivo, Rüdiger’s salary, said to be around 14 million euros, is set to be significantly reduced. Club legend Luka Modric is cited as a comparison, having received only half his previous salary during his final season at Real.

It is questionable whether Rüdiger would agree to such a cut. This is because interesting alternatives are apparently emerging. According to Tuttosport, Juventus (with his former Roma mentor Luciano Spalletti on the bench), Manchester United and Liverpool FC are now also interested in his services. The paper goes on to report that Juve are tempting him with a two-year contract worth a total of ten to twelve million euros.

Yet injuries are just one aspect of Rüdiger’s challenges. Anyone who selects him gets a physically strong tackler and a mental powerhouse with an exceptional will to win. At the same time, however, he also has his downsides: questionable behaviour on and off the pitch, some of which borders on outright scandal. His record is long and continues to grow.

At the 2022 World Cup, he called a FIFA volunteer a “complete idiot”. In 2023, he responded to a fan’s request for an autograph with the words: “Spasti, Spasti”. A video from March also made headlines, in which he shouted at a fan asking for a photo: “You don’t need to touch me.” Earlier this year, he also made a provocative ‘chop-off-the-head’ gesture towards an Atlético fan. In the Copa del Rey final against arch-rivals FC Barcelona, he threw a tape dispenser at the referee and insulted him in the most vile manner, resulting in a six-match ban.

Following the Clásico incident, some observers and so-called experts even called for his expulsion from the national team. Instead, Nagelsmann gave him a sort of probation. “The limit has been reached. He shouldn’t allow himself to do any more of this, otherwise there will be more serious consequences,” he said. Following the recent Getafe incident, in which Rüdiger struck Diego Rico, who was lying on the ground, in the head with his knee, similar calls began to mount. Yet there were no consequences from the DFB; quite the opposite, in fact.

Instead, Nagelsmann came to his defence. He said Rüdiger was the sort of player who “divides opinion”, and that “more is made of him than of others”. Germany’s captain, Joshua Kimmich, also defended his teammate: “Toni is, of course, a very important player for us. I sometimes feel that we in Germany forget what Toni has delivered over the last three or four years." Rüdiger is someone "you can rely on and whom you can field in every match without having to worry about it or feel anxious as a teammate." Real coach Arbeloa went even further in his praise. "If you ask me, I’d love to have a statue of Rüdiger made and put it in the garden," he said, describing his protégé as "a role model for everyone".

Rüdiger is a player who provokes strong reactions in many people and whose mentality has both positive and negative sides. He is by no means the perpetrator in every incident, such as after the match against Slovakia, when he, Nnamdi Collins and Jonathan Tah were subjected to racist abuse online by deranged individuals.

The two-time Champions League winner nevertheless wants to take responsibility and has promised to improve: "This discussion shows me once again that I have a responsibility which I have failed to live up to at times. I take serious and objective criticism seriously, because I know myself that I have been involved in incidents that went well over the top. I don’t want to be a source of unrest, but rather to provide stability and security."

The role the 33-year-old will play in the national team and at the World Cup in future could already become apparent in the upcoming international matches against Switzerland (27 March) and Ghana (30 March). For hardly any other player are these two matches likely to be of greater significance for their future in the DFB squad. He himself, however, is taking a relaxed view of the situation and would put the team first even if the decision went against him and in favour of Schlotterbeck and Tah. He emphasised this once again to kicker.

“Jona and Nico have been playing very strongly this season and, above all, very consistently,” said Rüdiger, but he also made it clear: “During a World Cup, we need more than just eleven players anyway, especially this summer. The conditions will be very demanding, as will the travel and the slightly increased number of matches.”

So for him, one thing is certain: “If Julian needs me, I’ll be there – whether in the starting line-up or coming off the bench to secure the result.”

A statement that Nagelsmann will certainly take note of with appreciation.