Antonio Rudiger has publicly apologised for his conduct during Real Madrid’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, acknowledging there is “no excuse” for his actions.
The German defender was sent off after launching a projectile at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in the dying minutes of extra time.
The incident occurred after the referee awarded Barcelona a free-kick, halting a Real Madrid attack led by Kylian Mbappe, triggering a furious reaction from Rudiger.
Rudiger’s outburst required intervention from Real Madrid staff, and he was one of three players dismissed, alongside Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez, for dissent.
However, Rudiger’s actions are seen as the most serious and could lead to a significant suspension.
In a post on X, Rudiger said: “There’s definitely no excuse for my behaviour last night. I’m very sorry for that. 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 have disappointed last night.”
According to Cadena SER, Rudiger could face a ban ranging from four to twelve matches, which would likely rule him out for the remainder of the season.
Additional sanctions could follow pending further review by competition authorities.
The incident compounded a difficult evening for Real Madrid, whose hopes of a domestic double were ended by Barcelona’s dramatic extra-time victory.
