Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has received a six-match ban for throwing an object at the referee during the Copa del Rey final clash with Barcelona.
Rudiger and team-mate, Lucas Vazquez, who had both been taken out of the game, were shown straight red cards during the final for angrily reacting to a foul given against Kylian Mbappe shortly before the final whistle.
Referee, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea mentioned in his report that centre-back Rudiger, 32, was sent off for “throwing an object from the technical area, which missed me”.
All six games of Rudiger’s suspension will be served in the league matches, meaning that it will extend until the start of next season.
He will also be banned for the final five games in La Liga this campaign, and for the opening game of the 2025-26 campaign.
Rudiger is unlikely to be hugely impacted by the ban, after undergoing a knee surgery yesterday that is likely to rule him out for the rest of the season.
Rudiger had apologised for the incident, saying there was “definitely no excuse” for his behaviour.
Lucas Vazquez has also been suspended for two games, both of which will be served in Copa del Rey fixtures next season.
To further compound the clubs defensive woes, left-back Ferland Mendy has suffered a hamstring injury while central defender David Alaba has ruptured the meniscus in his left knee.