Real Madrid lost the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona 3-2 in what cemented manager Carlo Ancelotti’s decision that it was time to find something new.
Real Madrid full-back Antonio Rudiger was substituted in the 111th minute of the Copa del Rey final after sustaining a knee injury, now he has also been banned for six games for throwing an object at the referee.
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Rudiger and teammate Lucas Vázquez, who had both been substituted, were shown a straight red card in Sevilla after reacting with anger to a free-kick awarded to Kylian Mbappé just before the final whistle.
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea wrote in his match report that centre-back Rudiger (32) was sent off for “throwing an object from the technical area, which missed me”.
BBC Sport commentator Guillem Balague reported that Rudiger threw an ice cube at the referee.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) stated that the German full-back has received a six-match ban for “minor violence against the referees”.
The RFEF has also withdrawn the red card that Real midfielder Jude Bellingham received for protesting after the final whistle.
The referee’s report claimed that Bellingham “approached our position in an aggressive stance and had to be restrained by his teammates”, but the RFEF stated that Real had provided video evidence to disprove this.
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Under Article 101 of the RFEF’s Code of Conduct, which deals with “mild violence” against referees, Rudiger could have received a ban of between four and twelve matches.
All six games of Rudiger’s ban will be served in league games, meaning it will last until the start of next season.
He will be banned for the last five games in La Liga this season, as well as the opening game of the 2025/26 season.
Rudiger is unlikely to be particularly affected by the suspension, as he underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is likely to be out for the rest of the season.
Real did not give a timeframe for his rehabilitation, but Spanish media report that he could be out for six to eight weeks. This will rule him out for the rest of the domestic season and make him uncertain for the Club World Cup, which starts on June 15.
Rudiger has apologized for the incident and said that there is “absolutely no excuse” for his behavior.
According to the RFEF, this apology was used as an attempt to reduce the sentence.
Vázquez is banned for two matches, both in the Copa del Rey.
Meanwhile, the club states that left-back Ferland Mendy has suffered a hamstring injury, and that center back David Alaba has torn the meniscus in his left knee.
