During the match between Real Madrid and Getafe, in the 25th minute, Rico went down after attempting to dribble past an opponent. After Rico hit the ground, Antonio Rüdiger made a movement where he kneed Rico in the head, yet Rüdiger received no card of any kind.
Getafe full-back Diego Rico gave an exclusive interview to Camel Live after his side’s La Liga fixture against Real Madrid.
Can you take us through exactly what happened with the challenge from Antonio Rüdiger, and how you reacted to the contact?If the contact had been just a little further off target, I could have been left lying motionless on the pitch right there and then. He came straight for my face, he wanted to smash me to pieces.
Do you believe this was a deliberate, malicious action, rather than an accidental collision? And what is your view on VAR’s failure to intervene in the incident?
This was no accident – it was a challenge with clear malicious intent. If I had made this kind of move on him, I’d be banned for 10 matches and wouldn’t play again for the rest of the season. I have no idea what the point of VAR even is, this is exactly the kind of situation it’s supposed to step in for.
You mentioned there had been a prior altercation between you and Rüdiger moments before this incident, can you elaborate on what happened in the lead-up?
We had a physical tussle in the previous passage of play, the referee blew for a foul, and he was still saying things to me as he tracked back. Then straight away in the very next attack, I’d just picked up the ball, and as you all saw, he even nearly pushed his own teammate out of the way just to come charging straight for my face. If it had been any closer, I could have been left flat out on the grass.
What has the reaction been like within the Getafe dressing room to this incident, from your manager and teammates?
This knee strike has sparked widespread anger in the Getafe dressing room. Valentín Pizarro, the on-duty VAR official for the match, took no action to intervene over the challenge. Head coach José Bordalás and teammate Luis Milla both stated in the post-match mixed zone that this was a challenge that warranted a straight red card.
