Ex-Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger appears to aim jibe at Tottenham through Instagram ahead of derby clash
Former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger recently took to Instagram to taunt fellow London outfit Tottenham, ahead of their Premier League clash this term. The Real Madrid defender shared a post on the social media platform, with the apparent intention of taking a dig at Tottenham's woeful record against the Blues of late.
Hours before the match, popular football media outlet 4-3-3 posted a number of high-scoring scorelines that the London rivals have shared over the course of recent history. Rudiger cleverly handpicked a slide that showcased Chelsea's 3-0 dismantling of Tottenham back in 2021, before sharing it on his Instagram story.
The outspoken defender has always held an upper hand over the Lilywhites, boasting a record of 10 wins in 13 matches against Tottenham. During his time at Stamford Bridge, Rudiger only tasted defeat against Spurs on three occasions, registering seven wins in nine Premier League games. His last trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a blue jersey was no exception either, as he scored the only goal in their 2022 EFL clash.
Rudiger's supposed jibe seemed to work wonders for his former club as Chelsea handed a crushing loss to Ange Postecoglou's men, defeating them by a scoreline of 4-1. The entertaining bout witnessed several controversial moments, including a penalty incident, two sending-offs, and a grand total of five disallowed goals.
Despite a nine-man Tottenham's valiant efforts, the Blues were able to capitalize on their opponent's depleted squad, scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes. They consequently ended the north London outfit's unbeaten start to the Premier League season, also stopping them from reclaiming their spot at the summit of the league.
Antonio Rudiger came close to joining Tottenham during his tenure at Chelsea
After joining the Blues from Roma in 2017, Antonio Rudiger experienced a rocky start to life in England. He often found himself on the bench while also struggling with multiple fitness issues during his early days as a Chelsea player.
As a result, he came close to leaving Stamford Bridge during that taxing period, with Tottenham emerging as a surprise potential destination. Rudiger stated in 2021 (via Football London):
"I was close to leaving. There were really like two teams, maybe one team I was considering, that was PSG to be honest."
"There was a call also with Mourinho, but this is something at the end of the day that didn't happen, and with Tuchel also, didn't happen."
However, the Germany international ended up extending his stay at Chelsea and overturned his fortunes soon after. He finally left England last year, having won five trophies with the Blues, including a UEFA Champions League title in 2021.