Real Madrid: Rüdiger wants to be like Pepe: how are they similar and how are they different

Abefore that Antonio Ruediger will speak in the Valdebebas press room about Pepe as one of its referents in defense, in the Real Madrid and in the world of football in general this comparison between both players had already been put on the table. The truth is that the former Chelsea player It has many things that the Portuguese center-back left at Real Madrid. Now that even the German central defender has admitted that one of his role models in defense is Pepe, everything makes more sense. For Ancelotti, In addition, these qualities are undoubtedly very important and come to complement other very good ones that they already offer. Alaba and Militao.

Character and power of intimidation in the field, jokers out

“There are many… but if I had to choose one, I’d say Pepe. He has some characteristics that I love: he’s a monster on the pitch and he’s a very nice person outside,” commented Rüdiger when talking about a benchmark. Basically, the two most similar qualities are the two very different faces of both: pranksters and even tender off the pitch, but with a lot of character and intimidating power when they enter the field, where they have no friends. A very important figure to deal with forwards who also play the same tricks to try to intimidate defenders. Both have the ability to infect the team with their energy.

Hard fame but arbitrations say otherwise

Pepe was the boss of Real Madrid’s defense, especially during the Mourinho. Like Rüdiger, he likes to command the pitch and give instructions to his teammates. Both have a reputation for toughness, but the truth is that both have the ability to play to the limit on many occasions and, in fact, the referees do not reflect that idea. Rüdiger, nicknamed Rambo, has never been sent off in the Chelsea and has seen 32 yellow cards in 199 games. In the Roma and Stuttgart he was sent off only twice and with Germany he has not seen a red card in 40 games either. Pepe, in eight seasons at Real Madrid, was sent off four times in 331 games.

Strength and speed despite its size

Rüdiger becomes the tallest outfield player in the squad at 1.90 cm. Pepe also stood out for his size, with 1.87. The two go well over the top and has speed despite his height and bulk. In fact, in the case of Rüdiger, a study has shown that he reached a speed of 36.7 km/h, a fraction faster than Salah y Traore, which were measured at 36.6 km/h. Pepe was a great marker, but he was also a very fast centre-back thanks to his great stride. Both have a great ability to anticipate thanks to their speed and intelligence on the pitch.

Rüdiger, without the cost pressure for his signing

Not all are similarities. Rüdiger does not arrive with the pressure of Pepe. On the one hand, because of the cost. The Portuguese became the most expensive defender in the history of the club when Madrid paid 30 million to Port, which caused a lot of criticism, although over time the player left everyone in evidence. Rüdiger, in addition to coming with the letter of freedom, does not arrive at a Madrid in need of titles either. The demand of Madrid is maximum, but this team has won five Champions and Pepe arrived at a Madrid that was shipwrecked in the Champions League until reaching the tenth in 2014.

A contrasted signing and a commitment to the future

Rüdiger arrives as a proven signing. At 29 years old, he has already passed through the Bundesliga (Stuttgart), Italy (Rome) and finally Chelsea, where he has also won the Champions League. Pepe was not a rookie but he landed at the age of 24 from Porto. His adventure in the League was his first away from the Portuguese League and he had won the League with Porto.