Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger explains why it can be difficult to play alongside Thiago Silva
Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger explains why it can be difficult to play alongside Thiago Silva
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has been speaking about teammate Thiago Silva.
When fit, Rudiger and Silva make up two thirds of Chelsea’s three-man defence. And despite their struggles midway through this season, the Blues still boast one of the best defensive records in the Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have conceded just 19 in 28 league games, with Manchester City (18), the only team to let in fewer goals this term.
One of the reasons for this is obviously the quality of Silva and Rudiger. However, in a recent interview, the latter admitted it can be difficult to play alongside Silva due to the language barrier:
“Because of the language barrier, it’s difficult,” Rudiger said. “People like him, he’s an OG. He talks on the pitch.”
Rudiger to Barcelona
Rudiger may not have to play alongside Thiago Silva for much longer, though, as the German is out of contract in the summer and could leave on a free.
Recent reports even suggested that the centre-back’s agent contacted Barcelona after their 4-0 drubbing of Real Madrid before the March international break:
🚨🚨| Rüdiger’s agents called FC Barcelona after their 4-0 win against Real Madrid; the meeting between the player, Alemany & Jordi Cruyff was VERY POSITIVE.@gerardromero [🎖️] @JijantesFC
— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) March 31, 2022
As for Silva, he is set to stay at Chelsea until the end of next campaign and has been discussing his longevity: “The first thing is preparation, the organisation, not just from the players but from all our the staff. I have a really good relationship with the staff.
“It’s great if I am feeling tired I can speak to the coaching staff, and I can say that it might be risky to play certain matches, and we think about it and we decide whether it’s best to play or to rest. The relationship we have means we can speak freely to each other. We don’t hide things, and we speak clearly.
“Then it’s about recovery after every match. I am somebody who doesn’t go out much, I stay at home with my family, and I recover at home as well.
“I’m one of the first to arrive at the training ground and one of the last to leave, because I do my recovery here. I’m 37 so I think it is necessary to do the maximum, especially when you’re at a club like Chelsea who have given me this new opportunity.”
