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Instead of being in the DFB squad, Antonio Rüdiger sends birthday wishes to a former teammate. The break for Rüdiger makes perfect sense.
Herzogenaurach/Madrid – Antonio Rüdiger, the new deputy captain of the DFB team, was not selected for the upcoming international matches. Instead, he used the opportunity to congratulate a former football idol on his birthday.
Birthday greetings for Jérôme Boateng instead of DFB games
Rüdiger will miss the upcoming Nations League games against Hungary and the Netherlands. Instead of participating in the DFB squad, he sent birthday wishes to Jérôme Boateng. In his Instagram story on September 3, he published a photo of himself and Boateng with the words: “Happy Birthday Big Bro” and a heart symbol.
The question arises whether Rüdiger preferred to spend his time with Boateng rather than traveling to the national team. However, this seems unlikely. The picture appears to be from a time when both were still playing together for the German national team. The birthday greetings were therefore only sent digitally, not in person.
Antonio Rüdiger congratulated Jérôme Boateng via Instagram story. © Screenshot: Instagram/@toniruediger
Antonio Rüdiger takes a break from the national team
A trip to see Boateng would not have been a big scandal for Rüdiger anyway. The DFB announced that national coach Julian Nagelsmann is allowing the Real Madrid central defender a rest to recover.
A break that is entirely justified given the high workload. Rüdiger played 48 games for Real Madrid last season and an additional 14 games for the national team, including five at the European Championships. He did not have a significant summer break after the European Championships.
Played together in the DFB team: Jérôme Boateng, Timo Werner and Antonio Rüdiger (from left to right). © IMAGO / Chai vd Laage
Time spent together in the DFB team without success
Boateng and Rüdiger rarely played together for the national team. From 2014 to 2018, they only played eight games together. The record is sobering: the DFB was only able to win two games when both defended together – four were lost and two ended in a draw.
Boateng also recently suffered a defeat in court: In July, Boateng was found guilty of assault on his former partner by the Munich Regional Court, but was only given a warning and a fine of 100,000 euros. (sch)
