Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger have been waiting to learn their fate after their behavior in the Copa del Rey final match against Barcelona, which ended with Madrid’s defeat. Now, a decision has been made.
According to The Athletic, Rudiger received a six-match ban after he threw an object at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)’s Disciplinary Committee described the incident as a “minor violence against referees.”
On the other hand, Bellingham has avoided a ban despite receiving a red card as well. The referee’s report said, “He came towards us with an aggressive attitude, having to be held back by his teammates.”
The RFEF, however, disagreed with the referee’s statement. According to them, a video they saw showed Bellingham having a “calm attitude towards Barcelona players.”
They also said, “It is evident that he is more than 15 metres from the referee’s team. That, given the distance between the player and the officials, it is impossible to conclude that the player went towards the position where the referees were in an aggressive attitude. Indeed, looking at the images, he did not even address them.”
Rudiger’s ban is justifiable, especially with the way he acted. In addition to throwing an object at the referee, he had to be held back by several staff members.
Aside from Rudiger and Bellingham, Lucas Vázquez also received a red card because of aggressive behavior. He will serve a two-game ban.
According to these decisions, Real Madrid will now lose both Rudiger and Vazquez. Vazquez’s ban will make him miss Real Madrid’s first two matches in the Copa del Rey next season.
Rudiger’s ban, on the other hand, will be applied across all competitions and not just the Copa del Rey. This means that he will miss Real Madrid’s last five games of this season, as well as the opening match of next season.
Rudiger, however, is going to miss the rest of the season even if he wasn’t banned. This is because he suffered an injury in the final and underwent surgery on his left knee as a result. He will be sidelined for approximately six weeks, meaning he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
The behavior of Real Madrid’s players against the referee is unacceptable. This isn’t the way to defend or represent your club.
Barcelona won. They played a better game, and they deserved this win. Not to mention that they also faced unfair decisions by the referee. Madrid’s players should have accepted the result and moved on.
Real Madrid’s issues with referees appear to be coming to an end soon. La Liga should find a solution to this back-and-forth before things escalate further.
I honestly hope that Madrid will manage to stand on their feet before the upcoming clash with Barcelona in La Liga. After all, fans want to see a good game.
Read More Soccer News From Stadium Rant Here: Soccer News
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
