Holding France midfielder Paul Pogba from behind, Germany defender Antonio Rüdiger appeared to open his mouth and lightly bite his opponent's back.
Pogba said the German “nibbled” on him, and Rüdiger said he regrets doing it.
The incident happened Tuesday toward the end of the first half during France's 1-0 win at the European Championship.
Germany's Antonio Ruediger, right, stands beside France's Paul Pogba during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group F match between France and Germany at the Allianz Arena stadium in Munich, Tuesday, June 15, 2021. (Matthias HangstPool via AP)
“I shouldn’t go like that with my mouth to his back — no question — it looks unfortunate,” Rüdiger said Wednesday. “Paul and I spoke very amicably after the final whistle, and he confirmed to me and then again in an interview that it wasn’t a bite, like one or other outsiders said at first.”
The Germany defender had said before the game that his team would need to be “disgusting” to beat the World Cup champions.
And then came that moment with Pogba.
Germany's Antonio Ruediger, right, stands beside France's Paul Pogba during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group F match between France and Germany at the Allianz Arena stadium in Munich, Tuesday, June 15, 2021. (Matthias HangstPool via AP)
“He nibbled, I think, a little bit on me,” Pogba said after the game. “I felt it, I told the referee, and he makes the decisions, and he took a decision. It’s over. I just want to play football. He hasn’t received any cards. I think it’s better like this.”
Pogba, whose incisive play from midfield helped France win the match, said the incident was “nothing big” and “belongs to the past."
"I am not crying for cards, you know red cars, because of such actions,” Pogba said, adding he and Rüdiger were friends and had known each other for a long time.
France's Paul Pogba, left, speaks with Germany's Antonio Ruediger during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group F match between France and Germany at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, June 15, 2021. (AP PhotoMatthias Schrader, Pool)
Rüdiger said he did not expect any retrospective punishment for the incident. Neither Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande nor video assistant Juan Martínez Munuera took any action despite being aware of it.
“The referee told me during the game," Rüdiger said, "that he would have punished me if he considered it a violent act.”
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