Rudiger Banned Six Matches After Red Card in Copa del Rey Final Loss to Barcelona
Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has been handed a six-match ban after being sent off in the Copa del Rey final for throwing an object toward the referee, Spanish football authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The German centre-back, who had already been substituted during the heated clash in Seville, was dismissed after aggressively confronting referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea as Barcelona triumphed 3-2 in extra time.
Rudiger, 32, issued a public apology on Instagram the following day:
“There’s definitely no excuse for my behaviour last night. I’m very sorry for that… Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I have disappointed.”
He underwent knee surgery earlier Tuesday, ruling him out for the remainder of the season, which includes five remaining La Liga fixtures. He will serve the final game of the suspension at the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign and will miss the high-stakes Clasico on May 11.
Meanwhile, Madrid’s Jude Bellingham—who was also red-carded after the final whistle—avoided a ban after a review found inaccuracies in the referee’s report. The disciplinary committee of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) concluded that Bellingham did not act aggressively and was not restrained by teammates, as originally claimed.
Lucas Vazquez, another Real Madrid player ejected during post-match protests, received a two-match suspension.
The fiery finale followed tension between Real Madrid and Spain’s refereeing body. Madrid had criticized the referees’ pre-match press conference, calling their comments “unacceptable” and “threatening” in tone—further inflaming the atmosphere before the showdown in Seville.
