Germany defender Antonio Rudiger happy to be cast as villain during World Cup

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rudiger-antonio/rZHXvTho/"]Rudiger[/a], who earned a ‌one-year contract extension at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] on Tuesday, has often found himself in the ‌spotlight for his aggressive play, provoking opponents or showing dissent.[/p][p]He ‌said he respected any serious criticism but said people often exaggerated his behaviour ‌in order to turn him into a bogeyman.[/p][p]"First of all I ‌respect opinions," Rudiger told a press conference. "[b]I take them seriously and I have apologised (in the past) for these things. But there is not much to be ‌said. Serious criticism is always welcome[/b].[/p][p]"[b]But one has to ⁠ask oneself when you hear so ‌much, it generates clicks when you talk about social media. I see something ​positive there. Because my name gets a lot of clicks. I can't explain it. Sometimes bad press is good press[/b]."[/p][image alt="Rudiger during Germany training" id="2bd79019-2fe7-49a3-9555-0180b0c07afc" credit-line="FEDERICO GAMBARINI / DPA / dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP / Profimedia" guid="a3c0d39a-39f9-42f0-8f21-f20d1bd55797" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p]Rudiger ​has been at the heart of several controversies over the years for both club and country, including getting a six-match ban for throwing ⁠an object at the ​referee in the 2025 Copa del Rey final in Spain, which earned him sharp criticism from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a]'s national team director Rudi Voller.[/p][p]He also seemed to taunt [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a]'s players during a 2022 World Cup group-stage match when he chased ‌down a ball with a comical high-knee sprint that many pundits branded as arrogant and disrespectful.[/p][p]The defender has lost his starting spot in the Germany backline to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tah-jonathan/2yf8EcuE/"]Jonathan Tah[/a] in recent months but is comfortable with his role as a substitute as the Germans prepare to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/germany-ptQide1O/ivory-coast-G2FRjBgn/?mid=SMzorJsm"]their second World Cup Group E match on Saturday[/a].[/p][p]They opened their campaign with a 7-1 demolition of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/curacao/bLLGpOkQ/"]Curacao[/a] earlier this week.[/p][p]Asked whether tough players in Spain like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ramos-sergio/nHFh7qIp/"]Sergio Ramos[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]‌Portugal[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepe/pQI3XCZb/"]Pepe[/a] were treated differently than players with those characteristics in Germany, ​Ruediger said he felt he was at times singled out ‌on social media for his actions.[/p][p]"I don't know really," Rudiger said. "[b]For me, in the social media world I am the bogeyman, again. In Spain actions are more celebrated. There were so many games where I had great sliding tackles and there were groups ⁠of fans who chanted my ⁠name. Let social media be ‌social media and we stay in the real world[/b]."[/p]