“Without Rudiger, better right?” - Ex-Germany hero defends Real Madrid star after 2-1 loss to Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal

Jerome Boateng has leapt to the defense of Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger in the aftermath of Germany’s 2-1 loss to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals on Wednesday (June 4). This follows criticism aimed at the 32-year-old in the German media.

Rudiger missed the contest in Munich after reports indicated that he is expected to be unavailable for two months following surgery in April. Despite finishing the season without any trophies, the 32-year-old was a key player at the heart of Real Madrid's defense for a significant part of the 2024-25 campaign.

In the 3-2 Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona in April, the former Chelsea player faced scrutiny regarding his sportsmanship. Rudiger was in the Real Madrid dugout during the second half of extra time while Barcelona held the lead. As the match neared its conclusion, referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea called a foul in favor of La Blaugrana, but the on-field decision ignited outrage from the Los Blancos bench.

Rudiger, sitting on the bench with several other Real Madrid players, reacted with anger and attempted to confront the referee. Among all the Los Blancos players who expressed outrage at Burgos’ decision, Rudiger's actions were the most extreme as he threw an object in the official’s direction. Consequently, he received a red card and was handed a six-game suspension by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

In the aftermath of the game, a poll reportedly conducted by BILD indicated that many Germans voted for Rudiger to be expelled from the national team due to his outburst against Barcelona.

Following Germany's 2-1 loss to Portugal, Jerome Boateng couldn’t help but respond to the defender’s critics by posting on his Instagram story.

“Without Rüdiger. Better right? 🤡”

What Germany national team coach said after Antonio Rudiger’s outburst in Real Madrid vs Barcelona Copa del Rey final

Julian Nagelsmann issued a warning to Antonio Rudiger following his Copa del Rey final outburst, telling him he must not repeat the unsavory behavior. He stated during a press conference (via GOAL):

"Of course, we've had a lot of dialogue about the incident. He knows my opinion that it was wrong and not good. And he has also reached the limit, he knows that. Rudi said that too, I told him that too.

"I think he said it twice, that it was wrong, that it was a mistake. And there's no question about that. And he also knows that it must not happen again. Otherwise there will simply be greater consequences. We are very transparent with him."

To date, Rudiger has made 79 appearances for the German national team.