The second leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid not only provided a top-class footballing spectacle on the pitch, but also a war of words in the mixed zone. Josip Stanisic, the Bavarian defender, did not hold back at the end of the match and directly accused Antonio Rudiger of having made serious insults against him during an incident in the game.
The incident the Croatian international was referring to occurred in the closing stages of the first half. In a split-second action that subsequently led to the third goal for the Madrid side, Stanisic fell to the ground after a heavy collision with the German centre-back. While the Bayern player lay on the ground in pain from the impact, there was a war of words that has sparked controversy.
Visibly upset in front of the microphones of the media, Stanisic explained his version of what happened in great detail. The footballer said that his Real Madrid rival not only deliberately sought physical contact when he saw him coming, but also took advantage of his vulnerability on the pitch to attack him verbally.
Only one word was said, twice… maybe he’s man enough to admit it publicly
“What happened while I was on the ground you can ask him directly, but in my opinion it is something completely unacceptable,” the Bayern defender began by saying. The player made it clear that his rival’s behavior crossed the lines of sportsmanship and the basic respect that should prevail between fellow professionals.
When asked by journalists about the exact content of the alleged insults uttered by the Real Madrid defender, Stanisic preferred to remain silent and not to reproduce the exact words. “Only one word was said, twice… maybe he’s man enough to admit it publicly,” he said harshly.
Despite the seriousness of his accusations, the Balkan player wanted to put some distance and tried to play down the tense situation on the pitch. Stanisic stressed that he understands perfectly the enormous competitive tension that surrounds a tie of this calibre, so he does not take it as a personal attack outside the professional sphere.
However, the Bayern Munich player concluded his appearance by insisting that the adrenaline of the moment can never serve as a carte blanche to justify disrespect towards an opponent.