Former national goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has defended defender Antonio Rüdiger after his outburst in the Spanish Cup final. Emotional outbursts are part of who Rüdiger is and what makes great players, according to Lehmann.
In an interview with news channel “Welt” Lehmann said, “He has become such a great player because he is who he is. And if we try to take that out of him, then he might not have his full potential. I’m not sure if we can afford to do without him.” Rüdiger may not have shown “perfect behavior” Lehmann admitted. “But I think we should forgive him; these are just emotions that everyone goes through from time to time.”
Lehmann believes that it is impossible to be proud of Rüdiger’s sporting achievements while ignoring his personal development: “We are all happy that Antonio Rüdiger is our best defender for the national team, that he plays for Real Madrid, that he won the Champions League and became the Spanish champion – and a player from Germany. But we never question how someone becomes so good? I can imagine that it is difficult for a young player to achieve such heights, having to endure so much criticism. And that is why he has become so good. Maybe he has become so good because he has a slightly different mentality than most other players.”
The German Football Association should question whether perfect behavior on and off the field is a necessary criterion for a national team career, according to Lehmann. “We should ask ourselves: Do we want players who always conform, who behave perfectly even in the face of great disappointment or perceived injustice? Or do we want players who can push us to the next level, even if they occasionally make small mistakes? I always say that on the football field, we need to be able to forgive things. And he has apologized.”
Rüdiger will likely receive a sanction in Spain, so there is probably no need for an additional ban from the DFB: “We should wait and see how long he is punished in Spain, whether we need to ban him from the national team for a certain period of time, or whether it even makes sense to invite him back. But we shouldn’t act hastily. He is our best defender. And in the end, we want to be successful at the World Cup in America.”
Rüdiger, like any other footballer, has a role as a role model, Lehmann acknowledged. But football can be rough: “We are still talking about the football field and football stadiums. And at the stadiums where I played, we were constantly insulted by the spectators, especially during away games. And after the game, we can’t just stand there and say that the spectators insulted us. That’s just part of it. As football players, we should not do that. I do not justify it and say that it is good behavior.” Lehmann himself was emotional at times during his career, just like “most of my teammates and we did not always behave perfectly.