At the top of his game, the Germany and Real Madrid defender teams up with Under Armour, but he never forgets how he got there.

Antonio Rüdiger recently announced to his Instagram followers that he was joining the Under Armour roster. His choice to do so was motivated by the values and ideals that Under Armour upholds.

Thomas Rüdiger

Now that Rüdiger is sporting the Under Armour Clone Magnetico Pro 2 boot, the company is dedicated to assisting him in being the greatest player he can be each and every game.

Kara Trent, SVP and Managing Director of Under Armour’s EMEA region

Rüdiger’s path has taken him from playing on concrete fields in the Berlin suburb of Neukölln, where the surface was so harsh that he tore holes in the bottoms of his shoes, to the immaculate pitch at the Santiago Bernabéu, where he now represents the most successful European club team in history.

He grew up in a neighbourhood in the German capital that was predominately made up of immigrants; his mother had fled the civil war in Sierra Leone. According to him, his football journey wasn’t about moving his family out of Neukölln having a large house or playing in the UEFA Champions League.

Rüdiger recently met with Under Armour in Madrid, where they had a long conversation about the events that impacted his life and made him into the strong athlete and motivating leader he is today. In the ensuing movie, Rüdiger is “Unboxed,” which closely examines a number of objects and pictures that show the people, places, and things that shaped him into the player and person he is now.

Rüdiger elaborates on the experiences that explain why he plays every game with the intensity that earned him the nickname “Rambo” as a child, using old family photos, memories of his difficult upbringing in Neukölln, and even the face mask that has come to represent him.

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Along with his Under Armour Clone Magnetico Pro 2 boots, which are decorated with the flags of Sierra Leone and Germany, Rüdiger can be seen reacting to his UEFA Champions League Medal, which serves as the ultimate recognition of his accomplishments in European club football.

This season, Rüdiger will aim to bolster his list of accomplishments, but you can be sure he won’t forget how he got there. With Under Armour on his side, he continues to toil and hustle.