It was supposed to be a night of fierce competition and glorious celebration for Spanish soccer, but in the dying moments of the Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona, chaos erupted. As tempers boiled over, one key Real Madrid figure — a seasoned defender — completely lost his composure, leading to an ugly scene that overshadowed the entire night.
Now, with the dust beginning to settle, Los Blancos are facing the prospect of losing Antonio Rudiger for an extended period — and the full extent of the punishment he could face is becoming a major talking point.
Moment of madness in Seville
In an emotionally charged finale at La Cartuja Stadium, Antonio Rudiger’s rage exploded in dramatic fashion. After referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea awarded Barcelona a foul in the final moments of extra time — a decision following contact between Eric Garcia and Kylian Mbappe — tensions on the Real Madrid bench snapped.
According to multiple reports, including from Relevo, “an object was thrown in the direction of the referee — and it appears that Antonio Rudiger was the one who hurled it.” Witnesses described Rudiger as “spewing anger,” and it allegedly took five members of Real Madrid’s staff to physically restrain him as he attempted to storm onto the pitch.
Despite efforts to calm him, the German’s fury led to a straight red card, joining teammates Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior, who were also dismissed during the mayhem. Rudiger reportedly hurled an ice cube towards the referee from near the Real Madrid technical area, just meters from manager Carlo Ancelotti.
After being escorted off the field, the veteran defender briefly returned, seemingly still seeking confrontation, before finally leaving the pitch for good under the guidance of goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis and goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.
Consequences loom large
While Barcelona celebrated a dramatic 3-2 victory, sealed by Jules Kounde’s goal in extra time, Real Madrid were left facing serious disciplinary repercussions.
The Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee is expected to rule in the coming days, but early fears suggest Rudiger could face a lengthy suspension — potentially missing up to 12 matches if the committee determines his actions constituted “aggression” towards a match official.
There’s also uncertainty about whether these suspensions will carry over into La Liga fixtures, including the highly anticipated final El Clasico of the season in Catalonia in just two weeks.
Beyond individual sanctions, Rudiger’s outburst adds to the growing scrutiny over Real Madrid’s treatment of officials. In a deeply emotional moment before the final, referee De Burgos Bengoetxea had revealed the toll the constant criticism has taken, saying in a press conference: “When a child of yours goes to school and there are kids telling him that his father is a ‘thief’ and comes home crying, it’s totally messed up.”
