Germany star Antonio Rudiger takes legal action against former BILD editor over terrorist link | OneFootball

Antonio Rudiger and the German Football Association (DFB) are taking legal action against former BILD editor Julian Reichelt after the player was linked to a terrorist organisation.

Rudiger, a devout Muslim, shared a photo of himself on a prayer mat with the index finger of his right hand pointing towards the sky earlier this month.

He also wrote the following message on his Instagram account: “Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslims around the world. May the almighty accept our fasting and prayers.”

However, his gesture didn’t sit well with former BILD editor Julian Reichelt who posted on X: “For everyone who doesn’t want to recognise Antonio Rüdiger’s Islamist greeting as an Islamist greeting – the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution calls this gesture the ‘IS finger’ and sees the index finger as a clear sign of Islamism.”

The Daily Mail reports that the Germany international has filed a criminal complaint with the Berlin public prosecutor’s office.

The DFB has also reported the case to the Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) of the Frankfurt/Main Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The experienced defender was part of Germany’s team that beat France 2-0 over the weekend. He will also likely be involved when they face Netherlands on Tuesday night.

Rudiger started his senior career at Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart before moving to Roma in 2015, where he made over 70 senior appearances.

The 31-year-old joined Chelsea in 2017 where he won the Champions League, FA Cup and the Europa League.

He is currently on the books of Spanish giants Real Madrid and has been a key member of Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season.