Rudiger calls Mourinho ‘father’: the nickname behind the bond

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger revealed the nickname he uses for new manager Jose Mourinho, calling the Portuguese tactician “father”. The comment came after Rudiger completed the full ninety minutes in Germany’s 2‑1 World Cup defeat to Ecuador. Nico Schlotterbeck’s injury has thrust Rudiger into the spotlight for Germany at the FIFA World Cup. Rudiger’s full‑match appearance against Ecuador marked his first start of the tournament. Despite the loss, Germany secured top place in their group. The group winners will advance to the knockout stage with a relatively favourable draw.

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Speaking to DAZN via Mundo Deportivo, Rudiger said, “Excited about Mourinho? Let’s think about the World Cup and then I’ll go with my father.” The quote underscores the personal term he uses for Mourinho. Rudiger has never played under Mourinho, as the two have not crossed paths professionally. Mourinho first identified Rudiger as a target in 2013 while the German centre‑back was at VfB Stuttgart, scouting him for Chelsea.

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Mourinho was dismissed by Chelsea in 2015, and Rudiger later joined the club in 2017, missing the chance to work together. Mourinho also pursued Rudiger for Manchester United in 2016, and Rudiger’s two‑year spell at AS Roma from 2015 to 2017 ended before Mourinho arrived at the Italian side. A photo by Alex Livesey (Getty Images) captured the timeline of Rudiger’s Roma period and Mourinho’s later appointment. A separate picture of Rudiger in the Real Madrid kit was provided by Justin Setterfield (Getty Images).