In Focus: Rudiger's exit still giving Chelsea the Blues ahead of reunion

Antonio Rudiger is out to inflict further pain on his old Chelsea pals in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Real Madrid defender was one of the key figures in Thomas Tuchel's team that beat Manchester City in the final of the competition in 2021. 

He left Stamford Bridge on a free transfer last summer and was snapped up by current Champions League holders Real.  

Ahead of the first leg at the Bernabeu tonight, we look back on Rudiger's time with the Blues and assess how the German has been getting on since moving to the Spanish capital. 

Contract talks

Rudiger, 30, began talks with Chelsea over a new contract shortly after helping them become champions of Europe. 

Supposedly one of squad's lowest-paid senior players at the time on £90,000-a-week, he was not impressed by the initial offer and negotiations quickly broke down. 

It perhaps did not help matters that when Romelu Lukaku arrived in West London that summer, it was widely reported the striker had been given a weekly wage of £340,000. 

Though Chelsea eventually tried to make Rudiger the best-paid defender in their history on £230,000-a-week, bigger offers were available elsewhere. 

The Blues missed their chance to tie down the centre-back at a time when he was keen to commit to a club being successfully led by compatriot Tuchel. Their loss is now Real Madrid's gain. 

Inconsistent form

It might seem strange that Chelsea let such an important player's contract run down in the first place but it is easy to forget his time at the club was far from an unqualified success. 

Signed from Roma ahead of the 2017-18 campaign, Rudiger was part of Antonio Conte's team that won the FA Cup.

A serious knee injury saw him miss the Europa League success the following season under Maurizio Sarri and a groin problem left him sidelined for much of 2019-20, when Frank Lampard took charge. 

His form was not always consistent and there was talk of Lampard selling him in 2020. At the time of Tuchel's appointment in January 2021, he had only played eight times that season. 

But under his fellow German, he became a crucial part of the team that would unexpectedly win the Champions League. 

With Rudiger deployed as one of three centre-backs, Tuchel's side became known for their defensive solidity, keeping a string of clean sheets on their way to the triumph over City in Lisbon. 

The rugged defender had quickly gone from being a bit-part player under Lampard to a vital member of the squad. This rapid change in status left Chelsea on the hop. 

Real progress

Now at Real Madrid, Rudiger is trying to establish the same sort of reputation. 

With Carlo Ancelotti favouring a back four, the Berlin-born ace has been fighting it out with David Alaba for the role of left-sided central defender alongside Eder Militao. 

He has become more relied upon as the season has progressed, starting both of the last-16 games against Liverpool. 

Meanwhile, struggling Chelsea have spent millions on the likes of Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Benoit Badiashile in an effort to replace a player they lost for free. 

As yet, no one looks as accomplished as Rudiger. But the positive spin is he was far from an overnight success himself.