Last Updated:
Rudiger had already been substituted off when he had to be held back by Madrid players and staff while he held a small bag of ice and shouted at referee De Burgos.
Rudiger getting into a heated feud with the referee (X)
Antonio Rudiger faces a possible multi-game suspension after appearing to throw ice at the referee and shouting aggressively while being held back by Real Madrid teammates late in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on Saturday.
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea also handed out red cards to Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vázquez for protesting in the waning moments of Barcelona’s 3-2 win.
De Burgos wrote in his match report that Rudiger “threw an object from the coaching area that didn’t reach me,” adding that the Madrid defender displayed “an aggressive attitude.”
Rudiger had already been substituted off when he had to be held back by Madrid players and staff while he held a small bag of ice. He continued to shout at De Burgos.
The day before the final De Burgos denounced a campaign to discredit him by Real Madrid’s official club television.
With the Copa del Rey final seemingly ticking toward penalties, Jules Koundé pounced on the chance to snatch an extra-time winner to clinch Barcelona’s 3-2 extra-time victory.
The France defender surged forward when he saw Brahim Díaz turn his back on Luka Modric’s short pass near Madrid’s area. He intercepted the ball, dribbled forward and fired a perfectly-placed low shot into the corner of the net to ignite Barcelona’s faithful at La Cartuja Stadium.
🚨🇪🇸 GOAL | Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid | Jules KoundeJULES KOUNDE HAS GIVEN BARCELONA THE LEAD IN THE 116TH MINUTE OF EXTRA TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS INCREDIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/Txnab8Ctd5
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) April 26, 2025
“I am very proud of my team,” Koundé said. “We had trouble keeping control of the second half but again we showed our character. And then, we pulled it off at the limit when we were very tired.”
Coach Hansi Flick praised Koundé, both for the goal and for his defense while marking Madrid speedster Vinícius Júnior.
“Jules saved two or three actions (by Madrid) and you saw the mentality that Jules has when he scored that goal,” Flick said. “He was in the right position to score that goal. He is a player who never gives up.”
In his first season in charge, Flick has invigorated a Barcelona team that didn’t win a title and was seemingly spiritless under predecessor Xavi Hernández.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)