Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has denied rumors he had anything to do with Frank Lampard’s sacking by the Blues last week.
Chelsea pulled the trigger on club legend Lampard after overseeing a five-game losing streak in eight Premier League games, giving him the lowest points-per-game average of any Chelsea manager since Roman Abramovich finished its takeover almost 18 years ago.
Even more alarming was Chelsea’s recession under Lampard this season as the team appeared to retreat despite summer spending of over £ 220million.
Rudiger’s seemingly unstable relationship with Lampard has led to speculation whether there was a sneaky contribution from the German international whispering in the council’s ear.
But Rudiger, although he apparently disagreed with Lampard and seemed at one point to be leaving after being frozen earlier this season, insists nothing could be further from the truth.
“There have been so many absurd rumors about me since last week. I never spoke with the board about the coach’s situation or anything, ”he told The Athletic.
“Frank Lampard trusted my abilities after Christmas in a very difficult situation and I am grateful for that. This is also the main reason why I told my representatives to no longer look for a possible winter move.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t supposed to be for our team to make a difference for the coach. We have always wanted the best for the manager and for the club. ”
Rudiger had only played in just one of Chelsea’s first 15 Premier League games of the season, but was suddenly drafted into the starting XI to replace Kurt Zouma after Christmas.
He started three of Lampard’s last four league games in charge and kept his place under Thomas Tuchel.
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