Antonio Rudiger receives support from DFB as they file complaint against journalist’s remarks on Real Madrid defender’s Ramadan gesture
Real Madrid player Antonio Rudiger recently posted a picture of himself praying along with a message for Ramadan and journalist Julian Reichelt made contentious comments about it. The center-back has taken up the case legally, and the German Football Association (DFB) has backed him up by filing a complaint.
Rudiger posted a picture of himself in a praying position, with his finger pointed upwards, as he captioned it:
"Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslims around the world. May the almighty accept our fasting and prayers."
Journalist Julian Reichelt took offense with the Real Madrid center-back's pointed finger on X, referring to Rudiger's Ramadan message as an "Islamist greeting":
"For everyone who doesn't want to recognize Islamism in Antonio Rudiger's Islamist greeting: The Office for the Protection of the Constitution calls this gesture the "IS finger" and sees the index finger as a clear sign of Islamism. You can't sugarcoat it, the DFB has to comment on it."
The DFB and the Real Madrid defender have moved swiftly, as they labeled Reichelt's tweet as "hate speech". The footballer has also moved legally to file a criminal complaint against the journalist with the public prosecutor's office in Berlin, for what has been termed "insult, defamation, and sedition."
The Federal Ministry of the Interior has also provided a statement on the matter (via iMiaSanMia):
"The 'Tawheed' finger is to be understood as a confession of faith and is therefore classified as unproblematic with regard to public safety. That applies regardless of the fact that Islamist groups misuse this symbol for their own purposes."
In a follow-up statement on X, Reichelt reiterated his assertions and has continued to stir up controversy by sticking to his prior remarks on Antonio Rudiger's gesture:
"This gesture has been completely co-opted by terrorists over the last two decades. It has undisputedly become the greeting of ISIS and Islamist murderers all over the world, of people who also murdered in Berlin and bring disaster and immeasurable suffering to the world."
Antonio Rudiger reveals he might have played for PSG instead of Real Madrid
After signing on a free transfer from Chelsea, Antonio Rudiger has become one of the best defenders in the world at Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti. However, he may not have joined up with Los Blancos, as he had intentions of playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
The center-back had a difficult time at Chelsea prior to this, particularly under Frank Lampard's leadership, which resulted in little playing time. Rudiger was keen to exit Stamford Bridge, as he said in an interview with GOAL (via Managing Madrid):
"I really wanted to leave. I wanted to leave. I wanted to join Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain, that was my wish."
However, Lampard left, and Chelsea hired Thomas Tuchel, who led them to win the UEFA Champions League. After enjoying that remarkable period with the Blues, the German defender left at the end of his contract for Real Madrid.