"It was just too quiet in the stadium" - Former Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger says he wound people up on pitch to improve Stamford Bridge atmosphere
Former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has told Sport 1 that he would wind fans up to improve the Stamford Bridge atmosphere.
Rudiger left the Blues this summer as a free agent and joined La Liga giants Real Madrid.
The German became a huge hit in west London during his time at Chelsea but has made a somewhat surprising claim over his performances at Stamford Bridge.
Touching on his performance in the side's 1-0 win over Newcastle United back in March where he was seen sprinting whilst windmilling his arms, he said:
"I'm doing it because I think I'm faster that way. If people find that amusing, I like to laugh along with them. Many will remember the scene you mentioned in Chelsea's game against Newcastle last season."
He added:
"I'll be honest: I deliberately made a few mistakes because it was just too quiet in the stadium for me during this game. I wanted to wake people up with it.
Stamford Bridge is one of England's most historic and renowned stadiums, boasting a capacity of 41,837.
Blues fans are well known for their support and are a key reason as to why Premier League clubs withdrew from plans to join the controversial Super League.
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Chelsea fans protest the Super League outside Stamford Bridge 🙅♂️ https://t.co/DESCtgKI2d
However, it appears Rudiger felt the atmosphere at the Bridge was not loud enough in showing support for his Chelsea team at the time.
He made 203 appearances for the west Londoners, winning the Champions League, the Europa League and the FA Cup.
Chelsea falter following Rudiger's departure
Rudiger's importance to the Chelsea defense has been made glaringly obvious following their disappointing start to the season without the German.
The Blues have shipped nine goals and sit seventh with three wins, one draw and two defeats in their opening six league fixtures.
They haven't fared any better in the Champions League, with a shock 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb having seen Rudiger's former manager Thomas Tuchel sacked.
Antonio Rudiger thoughts on Thomas Tuchel sacking. https://t.co/jGE5qRjO5m
The Stamford Bridge side followed that defeat up with a drab 1-1 draw against RB Salzburg at home.
Rudiger was replaced by Kalidou Koulibaly, who joined the Blues for £34.2 million.
However, the Senegalese captain has encountered a difficult start to life in the Premier League and was sent off in the Blues' 3-0 defeat to Leeds United.
Meanwhile, Rudiger has impressed for Madrid in Spain and has made nine appearances, scoring one goal.