Rüdiger Apologizes For Throwing Object At Referee During Final Loss, Faces Lengthy Ban

‎Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger apologized for his behavior during the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, where he was sent off with a straight red card.

‎His outburst occurred after the referee called a foul on Kylian Mbappe for a challenge on Eric Garcia. This decision denied Real Madrid a crucial chance to equalize, moments after Barcelona’s Jules Kounde scored the winning goal in the 116th minute.

‎Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea‘s decision sparked an outburst of rage among the Real Madrid players, especially Rudiger, who was on the bench after being substituted earlier.

‎The German saw a straight red for his reaction and had to be restrained by his teammates and coaching staff to prevent him from bursting onto the pitch and throwing bags of ice at the official.

‎”There’s definitely no excuse for my behavior last night. I’m very sorry for that,” Rudiger said on his social media accounts on Sunday.

‎”We played a very good game from the second half on. After 111 minutes, I was not able to help my team anymore, and before the final whistle, I made a mistake.

‎”Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I was disappointed last night.”

‎After the final whistle, Rudiger’s teammates Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham were also shown red cards for unsportsmanlike conduct, but Rudiger is the one facing the most serious repercussions for his behavior.

‎According to Spanish FA regulations, he could be suspended for a range of four to twelve matches, which would be a significant penalty. If imposed, this suspension would apply to all domestic competitions, including La Liga.

‎Rudiger’s actions have placed him at risk of facing severe disciplinary measures.

‎Real Madrid, last year’s Spanish and European champions, have the league remaining as their only chance for silverware this season.

‎They are four points behind leaders Barcelona in the standings with five fixtures remaining.