ANTONIO RUDIGER claims he was made to feel like a “monkey” and a “liar” after Tottenham and the police dropped an investigation into alleged racist chants against him.
The Chelsea centre-back launched a searing indictment of the probe’s results and revealed its devastating personal effects.
Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger looks on in the infamous match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December when he reported racist chantsCredit: Reuters
Referee Anthony Tayor pointed out to players where the alleged racial abuse came fromCredit: AFP or licensors
Rudiger complained of abuse during Chelsea’s 2-0 away win last December but Spurs insist “extensive reviews” of CCTV and help from lip readers failed to uncover the chants.
Now Rudiger says he is dumbfounded and sickened by the outcome as “racism won”.
The Germany star, 27, told Der Spiegel: “I ask myself, ‘how is it possible that nobody of the 60,000 people in this stadium realised anything about it?’
“So, I stand there [accused] as a liar. I have the feeling that I’m expected to shut my mouth. But I have a message: I won’t do that.
“I felt as if I wasn’t a human being, but an animal. A monkey.
“I think if you haven’t lived such situations you can’t imagine how I felt. Against Tottenham I felt incredibly lonely.”
I told Harry Kane ‘you don’t have to apologise’. But he wanted to do it as a sign that his club doesn’t think like that.
Antonio Rudiger
Rudiger also said Tottenham striker Harry Kane apologised to him afterwards.
He added: “I was grateful for the gesture from the England captain.
“I said, ‘it’s absolutely not your fault, you don’t have to apologise’.
“But he wanted to do it as a sign that his club doesn’t think like that.”
Tottenham have always insisted they “fully support” Rudiger’s actions but could find no evidence to support the allegations.
Many Spurs fans, however, booed him as Chelsea won the Premier League return 2-1 at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago.
After finally halting their investigation, Tottenham said: “The club and the Metropolitan Police have now exhausted all avenues of investigation.
Rudiger made a monkey gesture during the game at Tottenham in DecemberCredit: PA:Press Association
“There is no evidence to corroborate or contradict the allegation and as such neither ourselves nor the police are in a position to take any further action.
“We are fiercely proud of our anti-racism work and our zero tolerance of any form of discrimination.
“This is one reason why we have attributed so much time and resource to investigating this matter.”
Antonio Rüdiger accuses Spurs fan of making monkey chants after Son sent off for kicking Chelsea ace
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
