Antonio Rüdiger loses his temper in the Spanish Cup final – not for the first time

In his fury over the dashed title chance, Antonio Rüdiger lost his temper. Furious in front of the bench, the Real Madrid defender was barely contained by a coach as he vented his anger during the dramatic cup final defeat to FC Barcelona. The referee noted in his report that Rüdiger apparently threw several ice cubes at him at the end of extra time. The enraged German international was shown the red card, and a few moments later, the 2-3 (2-2, 0-1) defeat against their eternal rivals was sealed.

The morning after, Rüdiger expressed belated remorse. "There is no excuse for my behavior last night. I am deeply sorry," the 32-year-old wrote on social media. He apologized to the referee and everyone he had disappointed. According to media reports, Rüdiger could face a ban of at least four to twelve matches under the rules. However, if the Spanish Football Federation considers the incident an attack on the referee, it was reported that he could face a suspension of several months.

At the end, emotions boiled over. When referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea blew the whistle on Los Blancos' final attack for an offensive foul by Kylian Mbappé, there was a commotion on the sidelines. Rüdiger, who had been substituted injured, protested wildly, along with several of his teammates, ripping the ice packs off his injured knees in a rage, and reportedly also verbally abusing the referee.

Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham also received red cards for their tirades. The referee had already been in the spotlight before the final when he tearfully spoke at a press conference about the pressure exerted by Real Madrid and the consequences for himself and his family.

Real Madrid subsequently canceled all meetings prior to the final and called the referee "unacceptable." A boycott of the final was even mooted before Real assured that they would play out of respect for the fans. The scenes in extra time, however, are unlikely to have helped calm the situation.

Berlin's Rüdiger has often attracted attention in a disreputable way. While his antics could perhaps have been dismissed as inexperience when he was younger, this argument is no longer valid for the 32-year-old, who is already in his 14th season as a professional and has 79 caps for Germany under his belt.

Just last March, Rüdiger attracted attention with a head-butting gesture toward the fans of city rivals Atlético. Following the Champions League clash, the defender acted disrespectfully in this way, resulting in a one-match suspended ban and a €40,000 fine from UEFA.

Inappropriate and tasteless celebration in the city derby: Rüdiger's "greeting" to Atlético goes straight for the neck – and below the belt.

Source: IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Even with the German eagle on his chest, the world-class footballer was not free from bouts of arrogance. At the 2022 World Cup, for example, he made an unnecessary move in a running duel with Japan's Takuma Asano, running after a ball with his knees provocatively drawn, and was later the one who was most pleased. It was too soon, however, because the Japanese won the match 2-1, with Asano scoring the winning goal.

According to former international Dietmar Hamann, Rüdiger's violent outburst in the Spanish Cup final should also have consequences for the national team. "I think the DFB should suspend him. I wouldn't invite him to the Nations League final and would leave him out of the two matches," Hamann said on Sport1's "Doppelpass." This isn't the first time Rüdiger has exhibited behavioral problems, said the TV expert. Furthermore, national coach Julian Nagelsmann "never tires of emphasizing how important it is to convey values ​​and assume responsibility," said the 2002 World Cup runner-up.

Record-breaking international Lothar Matthäus made a similar statement on the "Sky90" program. "He was out of his mind, he was no longer in control. He's a national player, he should be a role model. Yesterday, he forgot all that." Matthäus expects severe sanctions against the Real Madrid defender, at least in Spain. "If he gets off with a four-week ban, he'll be fine. I'm thinking more like a double-digit number of weeks," said the 64-year-old. "I expect an XXL ban. He was on probation, after all."

The German national team will face Portugal in the Nations League semifinals in Munich on June 4. On June 8, they will face France or Spain in the final or third-place match.

When Rüdiger played in the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart before moving abroad in 2015, he made headlines for being sent off. "I like to go where it hurts. That's a good thing for a defender. But you have to find a balance between understanding the game and being uncompromising," Focus Online quoted him as saying. At just 20 years old, Rüdiger had been sent off twice in the Bundesliga: once for a foul, once for a punch. Not helping the outside world's perception was a cap he was spotted wearing on social media – bearing the words "Fuck tha Refs."

Rüdiger got into a verbal altercation with a fan who had asked him for an autograph in Frankfurt in 2023. The professional also used the word "spastic."

Now the Real Madrid star presents himself once again as purified, remorseful and vowing to improve.

RND/dpa/SID