The 2025 Copa del Rey final will be remembered for many years. Barcelona claimed the title with a 3-2 extra-time victory over Real Madrid, in a match full of notable moments. One of those was the red card given to Antonio Rudiger after a strong reaction toward the referee near the end of the game. Rudiger played through the match despite not being at 100% physically, making an extra effort to help the team in the absence of other defenders like David Alaba and Eder Militao. However, the German player was eventually replaced by Endrick with 10 minutes left in extra time, completely exhausted. After leaving the field, Antonio watched as Barcelona scored their third goal through Jules Kounde and saw Real Madrid push hard in the final minutes to equalize and send the match to penalties. In that tense moment, the referee, Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea, called a foul on Kylian Mbappe for a challenge on Eric Garcia, which denied Los Blancos their final chance to attack. This sparked an outburst of fury among the Real Madrid players, especially those on the bench, like Vinicius. However, the most vocal protest came from Rudiger, who made exaggerated arm gestures and verbal reprimands, even appearing to throw an object onto the field. This eventually led to him being sent off. The red card, however, did little to calm the anger of the German star, who had to be restrained by his own teammates to prevent him from approaching the referee and continuing his protests. This incident is likely to result in a severe sanction for Antonio in the future.
Rudiger wasn’t the only Real Madrid player sent off. The scandal in the final minutes, as Real Madrid players protested against referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea, didn’t end with Antonio Rudiger’s red card. The referee judged that, in addition to the German defender, Lucas Vazquez had also displayed inappropriate behavior in that situation, resulting in his red card as well. Like Rudiger, Vazquez was also off the field when he received his red card, so Real Madrid was able to finish the final minutes of the match against Barcelona with 11 players on the field.
The loss in the 2025 Copa del Rey final marks the third major setback for Real Madrid this year. Earlier, they were defeated 5-2 by Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia. Just a few weeks ago, they were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, losing both legs of the quarterfinals to Arsenal. With this in mind, Real Madrid now has just one competition left to focus on in the 2024-25 season: La Liga. Currently, they sit in second place with 72 points, 4 behind leaders Barcelona, and have 5 matches remaining. Their next game is this Sunday against Celta Vigo at home.
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.
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.
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.”
As the dust settles on this controversial final, questions loom large over the future of Real Madrid's season. With only La Liga remaining as their target, the team must regroup quickly to avoid a trophyless campaign. The upcoming match against Celta Vigo will be crucial in determining their momentum moving forward. The stakes are high, and the pressure is on Carlo Ancelotti to steer his team back to winning ways.
