Lothar Matthaus hailed Antonio Rudiger’s reversed fortunes at Chelsea following the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in January.
Writing in his column for Sky Germany, Matthaus wanted to compliment Rudiger’s revolution over the past few months.
The 28-year-old looked dead and buried under Frank Lampard’s stewardship, admitting that he was close to leaving the club at one point.
Tuchel came in and any ideas of Rudiger being removed were extinguished.
In fact, a flame was relit inside the defender that spread throughout the side.
After Rudiger was reinstated, Chelsea lost just three games, four including Lampard’s final Premier League match in charge.
His return was topped off by lifting the Champions League trophy last weekend, a title the Blues might not have won had he not been available.
Love from Lothar
Matthaus, who claimed seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and a World Cup with Germany, shared some love for his compatriot.
“Tuchel has made a completely new player out of Rudiger,” said the 1990 Ballon d’Or winner.
“He was as good as left London by the time the coach breathed new life and confidence into him.
“I think Antonio is great. He’s not afraid, he can really hurt the opponent and you definitely prefer to have him with you than against you.”
Contract confusion
Rudiger is old school in the sense he adores defending, but he can also dabble in the skills commonly associated with attackers.
His cult status has grown throughout the season, with Chelsea certainly reaping the rewards of his resurgence.
Despite the centre-backs brilliance, there are still uncertainties surrounding his Stamford Bridge future.
Talks over a new contract have yet to begun, as Rudiger enters into the final 12 months of his deal.
Chelsea fans would love him to stay. Tuchel probably feels the exact same.
It’s now down the board to make the decision.
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