Real Madrid Defender Handed 6-Match Ban for Attempted Referee Attack After Barcelona Loss
- Antonio Rudiger has been banned for 6 games for throwing ice at a referee during Real Madrid's loss to Barcelona
- The ban means Rudiger will be sidelined from the final five league games of the season and the 2025–26 opener
- Real Madrid academy defender Jacobo Ramon is set to get increased minutes during Rudiger's absence
Antonio Rudiger has been handed a six-match suspension after throwing a bag of ice at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea during the Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona.
Barcelona clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Carlo Ancelotti’s men in the final, thanks to a 116th-minute winner from Jules Kounde at the Estadio de La Cartuja.
Source: Getty Images
Los Blancos suffered their third consecutive defeat against Hansi Flick’s team after losing the first major cup final 3-2 after extra time.
The incident occurred late in the game after a foul was awarded against Kylian Mbappe, which sparked fury from the Real Madrid bench.
The Real Madrid centre-back and teammate Lucas Vazquez, both substituted at the time, were shown straight red cards for their actions following the 3-2 defeat to their arch-rivals.
According to BBC Football, in the official match report submitted, the referee stated that Rudiger threw the object from the technical area, narrowly missing him.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) deemed this a “serious offence” under Article 101 of their disciplinary code, which covers mild violence against officials.
Rudiger’s suspension covers two seasons
Rudiger’s six-game ban will be served across La Liga fixtures, ruling him out for the final five league matches of the current season and the opening match of the 2025–26 campaign.
Source: Getty Images
Unlike Vazquez’s two-game ban, which only applies to the Copa del Rey, Rudiger’s suspension covers all domestic competitions overseen by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), per talkSPORT.
The 32-year-old German international apologised post-match, admitting there was "no excuse" for his behaviour.
Although Real Madrid submitted the apology in an attempt to reduce the length of the suspension, the RFEF stuck with the six-game punishment.
Jude Bellingham’s red card for dissent after the match was also revoked. The federation accepted Real Madrid's video evidence, which disproved the referee’s claim that Bellingham had aggressively approached the officials.
Academy defender Jacobo Ramon steps in
With Rudiger unavailable and defensive depth stretched, Real Madrid are expected to turn to academy product Jacobo Ramon to fill the void in the German defender’s absence, Madrid Universal reports.
The 20-year-old defender has already featured in two first-team matches this season, a UEFA Champions League clash against RB Salzburg and a Copa del Rey start versus Leganes.
Ramon’s promotion could provide a silver lining in what has been a dramatic and disciplinary-troubled conclusion to Madrid’s domestic campaign.
He is now poised to see more game time, including potential involvement in the upcoming Club World Cup.
Rudiger offers apology to referee
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Rudiger has publicly apologised for his actions toward referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea during their 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.
In a post on his Instagram story, the German international expressed disappointment in himself and acknowledged that Real Madrid were the better side in the second half, despite failing to secure the win.
The former Chelsea defender admitted his behaviour was unacceptable and vowed to learn from the incident.
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Source: Legit.ng
