Rudiger takes legal action after he's linked with terrorist organisation

Antonio Rudiger and the German Football Association (DFB) are taking legal action after the Germany star was linked to a terrorist organisation.

Earlier this month, Rudiger, a devout Muslim, posted a photo on Instagram of himself in a white robe on a prayer mat.

Pointing the index finger of his right hand towards the sky. With a greeting for Ramadan: 'May the Almighty accept our fasting and prayers.'

On Sunday, former BILD editor Julian Reichelt posted on X: 'For everyone who doesn't want to recognize 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.'

Now Rudiger has filed a criminal complaint with the Berlin public prosecutor's office, and 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 Real Madrid star feels vilified and slandered for an Instagram photo at the beginning of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

When asked, Rudiger said he did not want to comment on Monday evening.

Germany face the Netherlands in a friendly in Frankfurt on Tuesday night.

On Monday, Rudiger issued a criminal complaint against Reichelt to the Berlin public prosecutor's office, 'because of insult or slander, inflammatory insult and sedition,' as the complaint states.

The DFB also filed a complaint and reported the Reichelt tweet to the public prosecutor's office as 'hate speech'. BILD also received mail from Rudiger's lawyers.

In a letter to BILD editor-in-chief Marion Horn, they 'warn' against 'inflammatory statements to the detriment of our client'.

Reichelt issued a response on X on Monday