Antonio Rudiger Faces Historic Ban After Copa Del Rey Chaos: How Many Games Could He Miss?

Real Madrid Defender Could Face a Lengthy Suspension After Post-Final Incident in Barcelona Defeat.

The Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona was always expected to deliver fireworks, and it certainly did. An extraordinary night in Seville saw Barcelona clinch a dramatic 3-2 victory after extra time. It was another comeback win for the Catalan side, who went 2-1 down at one point.

Courtesy of goals from Pedri, Ferran Torres, and Jules Kounde’s timely strokes, Barca lifted the trophy. However, it wasn’t just the goals and the trophy that made headlines, but it was also countless VAR controversies and post-match chaos involving Real Madrid players overshadowed Barcelona’s trophy win.

Real Madrid created a buzz around the employment of the referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea before the match. Yet, Barcelona seemed to be handed more wrong decisions in the entire match. Near the end of the game, three Madrid players created problems and were sent off after escalating an already volatile situation.

❗️Rüdiger's season in La Liga might be over. He faces a severe sanction and could be banned for 4-12 matches.

— @partidazocope pic.twitter.com/lBbbTMfDpK
— Madrid Universal (@MadridUniversal) April 27, 2025

Rudiger’s Red Card Incident and Possible Punishment

Antonio Rudiger who was substituted early into the game with an injury, lost his cool near the end of the match. An official report from the referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea’s official report have been doing the rounds in the media.

The report said that Rudiger was sent off “for throwing an object from the technical area, which missed me. After being shown the red card, he had to be restrained by several members of the coaching staff, displaying an aggressive attitude”

The German defender even attempted to storm back onto the pitch. Ultimately, he had to be restrained by teammates and coaching staff. Under Article 101 of the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) Disciplinary Code, Rudiger could face a suspension ranging from four to twelve matches.

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The particular article covers instances of “mild violence toward referees.” This includes grabbing, pushing, or other slightly violent behaviors without aggressive intent. Given the severity described in the referee’s report and the visible chaos, Rudiger is expected to serve a lengthy ban. The ban could rule him out for the rest of Real Madrid’s La Liga season.

Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham were also involved in the incident and saw red cards. However, they are expected to receive lighter punishments. Vazquez ran onto the pitch protesting decisions and Bellingham aggressively confronted the officials along with Rudiger. They will likely face one-match bans under Article 129 concerning minor infractions.

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Which Matches Could Rudiger Miss?

Real Madrid’s remaining La Liga matches:

Home match vs Celta Vigo – May 4
Away match vs Barcelona – May 11
Home match vs Mallorca – May 14
Away match vs Sevilla – May 18
Home match vs Real Sociedad – May 25

He could serve suspension for all five matches. However, whatever may be the length of his suspension, it will only cover domestic competition. Hence, he will not miss Los Blancos’ Club World Cup campaign set to commence on June 18. Even so, this will leave Madrid short-handed in their crucial La Liga run-in.

Los Blancos are still in the La Liga title race, only four points behind Barcelona at the top of the table. This will especially hurt Madrid considering they are already dealing with a number of injured defenders. Especially with a league game against Barcelona still left to be played on May 11.

Antonio Rudiger

Barcelona

Barcelona vs Real Madrid

El Clasico

Real Madrid

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.