Germany’s Antonio Rudiger and Niclas Fullkrug were involved in a heated training ground clash just days before the start of Euro 2024.
The pair, who faced off in the Champions League final, came to blows during a training drill, with Rudiger repeatedly pulling Fullkrug down.
Fullkrug stayed on the ground after one strong challenge and began swearing at Rudiger. He then got up and pushed the defender, before assistant coach Sandro Wagner intervened to calm the situation.
Germany stars Niclas Fullkrug (L) and Antonio Rudiger (R) had an altercation in training
Rudiger had reportedly dragged Fullkrug down several times in training, leading to the clash
Fullkrug reportedly needed to be calmed down by a member of Germany’s coaching staff
The players clashed in training just days before the hosts kick off Euro 2024
Rudiger was seen walking off the training pitch following the incident
Fullkrug and Rudiger pushed each other during training as Germany prepared for Euro 2024
‘Bild’: Rüdiger y Füllkrug, a punto de llegar a las manos
Las cámaras del medio alemán captaron al defensor del Real Madrid y al delantero del Borussia Dortmund enzarzándose en el último entrenamiento
— Diario AS (@diarioas) June 10, 2024
‘Bild’: Rüdiger y Füllkrug, a punto de llegar a las manos
Las cámaras del medio alemán captaron al defensor del Real Madrid y al delantero del Borussia Dortmund enzarzándose en el último entrenamiento
Fullkrug’s frustration continued as he told a member of the coaching staff to ‘just blow the whistle’. Rudiger then sarcastically applauded Fullkrug, who was still angry over the incident.
Earlier in the day, Fullkrug had praised Rudiger in a press conference, describing him and fellow center-back Jonathan Tah as ‘simply world class’. He also highlighted the depth in Germany’s defense, calling it a ‘formidable backline’
The clash will be a concern for boss Julian Nagelsmann ahead of Germany’s Euro 2024 opener against Scotland on Friday. The hosts will also face Hungary and Switzerland in the group stages.