Throughout his career, Antonio Rüdiger has been involved in several controversial incidents that earned him the nickname "crazy." However, the incident he starred in during the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, where he attempted to assault the referee, exposes him to an exemplary suspension of up to 12 matches—something that could end his season and affect the start of the next one with Real Madrid.

Footage condemns Antonio Rüdiger

Already on the bench after being subbed out due to unbearable knee pain, Antonio Rüdiger exploded at Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who had made headlines before the match for controversial remarks that nearly jeopardized the final of the Copa del Rey. Rüdiger threw several ice packs he had on his knee directly at the referee, clearly intending to harm him.

The footage was clearly captured by the television broadcast… and the referee was made aware of the situation, as noted in the official match report: “In the 120th minute, player (22) Rüdiger, Antonio, was sent off for the following reason: throwing an object from the technical area without hitting me.” Rüdiger was immediately sent off, as expected… but that’s when things escalated. “After being shown the red card, he had to be restrained by several members of the coaching staff, showing aggressive behavior.”

Rüdiger could miss the start of next season

Hours after the incident, Antonio Rüdiger issued an apology on his social media, admitting that his actions were unjustifiable: “There’s absolutely no excuse for my behavior last night. I’m very sorry. We played a really good game from the second half on. After 111 minutes, I could no longer help my team and, before the final whistle, I made a mistake. I want to apologize again to the referee and to everyone I let down last night.”

According to the rules, Antonio Rüdiger could face a suspension ranging from four to 12 matches. But given that this was an attempted assault and the situation escalated even after he was sent off, it’s very likely the committee will enforce the maximum penalty of 12 matches. That means Rüdiger won’t be available for any of Real Madrid’s five remaining matches this season… and he could also miss the start of the next one. Despite the upcoming Club World Cup, this might give him an opportunity to undergo surgery to try to resolve his knee issues.