Why Did Antonio Rudiger Lose His Head In The Copa del Rey Final?

Barcelona’s dramatic win over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final at the weekend is big enough news as it is, but it was overshadowed by the actions of multiple Real Madrid players, including Antonio Rudiger, who lost his head and was sent off in strange circumstances.

Real Madrid vs Referees

Real Madrid have had problems with referees all season. Star man Jude Bellingham was sent off earlier this season for swearing at a referee, a moment which caused mass discussion, as well as a large amount of abuse towards the referee on the day - Jose Luis Munuera Montero. Back in February, the club wrote a formal letter of complaint to RFEF and the Spanish High Council for Sports calling out LaLiga’s refereeing for being “rigged” and “completely discredited.” Most recently, Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger were given one-match bans for indecent conduct during their Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, with Dani Ceballos also fined.

Pre-match protests and how the match turned ugly

Carlo Ancelotti’s side added fuel to the final before matchday when they decided to boycott all pre-match activities in protest against the standard of refereeing. Final referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea was emotional in his pre-match press conference, and those emotions spilled out onto the match when the match was in full swing as he became the centre of attention in what should have been an exciting El Clasico cup final. After a comeback from Real Madrid to send the final into extra time, In the closing moments of the match, Kylian Mbappe raced through on goal but was penalised for a foul on Barcelona defender Eric Garcia in the buildup, a decision which left the Real players in agony and disbelief.

Rudiger and co lose their heads

The players on the Real Madrid bench kicked off at the decision to give a foul on Mbappe, and in the height of their anger, Antonio Rudiger looked to have thrown something in the direction of the official. This prompted the German defender to be sent off, alongside teammate Lucas Vazquez who stormed onto the pitch to protest the decision. It was later revealed that Rudiger threw an ice cube towards the referee, something that has not been seen before in the sport.

The aftermath

Since the final, Rudiger himself has publicly apologised for his actions, stating: "There's definitely no excuse for my behaviour, I'm very sorry for that.” As a result of his actions, Rudiger could face a lengthy ban. The Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary code states that any kind of “mild violence” towards referees could lead to a suspension between four and 12 matches. Assault to a referee in Spain can land you a ban from three to six months, so it purely depends on how violent the German’s actions are seen to be.