The German defense chief Antonio Rüdiger is celebrated by the spectators before the game in Bosnia-Herzegovina and thanks them with a gesture. After the game he was enthusiastic about the fans, the old stadium and an opponent’s player.
After his 75th international match, Antonio Rüdiger raved about the atmosphere in the small, rustic Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica. “Top, top, top. I would like to thank the Bosnian supporters. They showed me love from the start,” said the 31-year-old Real Madrid soccer star after the DFB team won 2-1 in the Nations League.
“Since I landed here, the Bosnian brothers and sisters have shown me love. Simply outstanding Bosnia. Thank you!” The old stadium and the simple cabins didn’t bother him at all. “Everything was good for me here. Stadium, fans, the conditions, you have to deal with that. Everything was fine.”
After the teams warmed up before kick-off, the 31-year-old had a scene, which was not shown on television, caused enthusiasm among the spectators: When he was alone at the goal line to warm up, chants rang out and there was thunderous applause. Rüdiger then took off his warm-up shirt and gave it to a Bosnian fan, for which the German defense chief received even more applause and a standing ovation from the local fans. The audience gave the DFB team a friendly welcome and behaved fairly during the game.
Dzeko “a leader and the man in Bosnia”
“We made it difficult for ourselves by not finishing the game faster,” said Rüdiger later about the heated final phase after the Bosnians lost 2-1 at the hands of 38-year-old, former Wolfsburg Bundesliga professional Edin Dzeko.
He said goodbye to his former club colleague at AS Roma with a small, well-meant bump. “Edin is a top, top player,” said Rüdiger. “He is a leader. He is the man in Bosnia.”
dpa/mel
