"I was amazed VAR did not come in" - Former Premier League official Keith Hackett claims Chelsea star was lucky to escape red card during Leicester City draw
Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger should have been sent off against Leicester City, as per former Premier League official Keith Hackett. He believes the German was reckless with his tackle on Wesley Fofana.
Rudiger lunged to block Fofana's clearance and was booked for it. He did not make contact with the Leicester City star but was shown a yellow card by referee Stuart Attwell.
Reece and Rudi. 👊 https://t.co/AJnCN2J7YP
Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett claimed he was shocked VAR did not get involved in sending the Chelsea star off. He said:
"Rudiger dives in. That is a red card. He has dived in, launched himself and is out of control. It's endangering the opponent. It is a clear red card. I was watching that and couldn't believe that VAR didn't come in. It does not matter the direction of the tackle.
"It can be in front, through, to the side or behind the player – it is a red card. That challenge endangers the safety of the opponent and by doing that he is very, very fortunate to not have been sent off. I was amazed VAR did not come in on that one. Rudiger got away with it. The referee was not at the races in regards to his position."
Antonio Rudiger bids goodbye to Chelsea
Antonio Rudiger's career at Chelsea is over, and the German defender is set to leave this summer. Real Madrid are touted to be his next club, but he is yet to officially confirm an agreement with them.
Thank you and good luck, @ToniRuediger. 👊 https://t.co/eMHFhVmhlD
Confirming his exit from Chelsea, Rudiger wrote on the Players Tribune:
"Unfortunately, my contract negotiations had already started to get difficult last fall. Business is business, but when you don't hear any news from the club from August to January, the situation becomes complicated. After the first offer, there was a long gap of just nothing.
"We're not robots, you know? You cannot wait for months with so much uncertainty about your future. Obviously, no one saw the sanctions coming, but in the end, other big clubs were showing interest, and I had to make a decision."
Rudiger joined the Blues from AS Roma in 2017 for a reported £29 million fee and has won the Champions League and Europa League once.