Antonio Rüdiger presented himself as composed in his new role as a reserve for the German national team on the DFB podium. The 33-year-old Real Madrid professional spoke positively about Jonathan Tah, who is now considered the defensive chief. Rüdiger, who previously led the defense for years, did not complain about his new role as the third center-back behind Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck at his first press conference in the DFB quarters.
“The progress Jona has made over the last two years deserves a lot of respect from me,” Rüdiger said about his long-time national teammate. He also praised Tah’s last season at Bayern Munich as outstanding and emphasized: “Yes — he is the new boss.” Rüdiger expressed his willingness to make a valuable contribution to the team’s success even as a substitute.
“As a footballer, it’s not easy to be on the bench. But in the national team, it’s something completely different than at the club,” Rüdiger explained. He was substituted in the first group match in Houston and stressed the importance of every player on the team. This information comes from a report by Tagesspiegel.
EuroPulse reported on June 12, 2026, about Jonathan Tah’s long road to his World Cup debut, [https://europulse.today/jonathan-tah-world-cup-debuet/].
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
