Nagelsmann warns Rüdiger: Discipline is now essential!

Nagelsmann warns Rüdiger: Discipline is now essential!

In the Spanish cup final between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, ​​there was a shocking incident that attracted the attention of the football world. Antonio Rüdiger, defender of Real Madrid, apparently no longer wanted to keep his emotions in check. During the game, he insulted the referee and threw a role Tape Association in the direction of the referee. The result was that Rüdiger not only saw the red card, but was also punished with a lock of six games. This reports op-online .

national coach Julian Nagelsmann commented on this incident at a press conference in Herzogenaurach and warned Rüdiger that such behavior could not be tolerated. Nagelsmann made it clear that Rüdiger needs to know that in the future he should appear disciplined and dominated in order to avoid more serious consequences. However, Nagelsmann also showed understanding of the defender's situation and described it as a "opportunity phase" in his career. Rüdiger himself expressed remorse and promised to work on his behavior.

rüdiger's current situation

After the incident and the resulting lock, Rüdiger will also be missing due to a knee surgery in the semi -finals of the Nations League against Portugal. Real Madrid had tried to contest the lock, but the objection failed. The football environment is concerned about the behavior of the defenseator. DFB sports director Rudi Völler and Nagelsmann appeal to Rüdiger in a fatherly way, whereby Völler urgently emphasizes that Rüdiger has to show respect as a national player. Rüdiger sees himself as a "emotional leader" and "warrior", which is questioned at this moment.

a change in sports psychology

In the discussion about Rüdiger's behavior, the increasing importance of sports psychology in football becomes clear. According to a study, around five percent of top athletes suffer from depression, a value that corresponds to the proportion of the general population. German football has made great progress in awareness of mental illnesses since the death of national goalkeeper Robert Enke in 2009. Like DW.com , there are now numerous initiatives to support athletes in the mental area.

The DFB has made sports psychologists into a duty at young academies in the past five years in order to offer better support. Sports psychologists like Timo Heinze at Bayer 04 Leverkusen report a slow change towards more sports psychological offers and their growing importance for mental health. This could also help Rüdiger to better control his emotions and to react more appropriately in critical moments.