According to reports, Rafael van der Vaart, the former Dutch midfielder of Real Madrid, was deeply upset by his former team’s defeat against Arsenal last night and criticized the defensive approach of Real Madrid’s players, including Antonio Rüdiger.

Van der Vaart, who was present as an analyst alongside former Vitesse midfielder Theo Janssen, discussed the incident where Rüdiger disrupted Jurriën Timber’s balance and then placed his foot on Lewis-Skelly’s stomach. Janssen said: “We all think Rüdiger intentionally stepped on Lewis-Skelly’s stomach. It was a deliberate move, and in my opinion, Rüdiger could have jumped over Lewis-Skelly, but he didn’t.”

Van der Vaart then commented on the incident: “I remember when I played for Hamburg, I faced Rüdiger, who was then playing for Stuttgart. In that match, he deliberately hit me in the stomach and was later sent off. I must say he is a bit of a fool, and as long as his team is winning, his behavior seems entertaining, but when they lose, everything looks different.”

Janssen then recalled last season’s match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, where Rüdiger marked Erling Haaland: “We all remember last season’s match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, where Rüdiger constantly stuck to Haaland, jumping in the air and fouling him. Of course, in that game, Rüdiger completely took Haaland out of the match with this approach.”