Jude Bellingham exonerated as Antonio Rudiger discovers length of ban for Copa del Rey tantrum
Antonio Rudiger has received a whopping six-game ban for his behaviour in the Copa del Rey final, while Jude Bellingham has got away scot-free. Meanwhile their captain for the 3-2 defeat to Barcelona, Lucas Vazquez, has been handed two games, with the trio all sent off in the closing stages of the match. Rudiger received the heaviest ban for his actionsGetty Bellingham managed to escapeGetty Rudiger took the headlines as he shockingly threw a bag of ice from the touchline towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea before being held back by teammates as he completely lost his cool. The Spanish football federation [RFEF] take referees’ reports into consideration when deciding bans, and concluded that Rudiger’s act was a ‘serious’ offense as the official noted the incident. Given the fact it’s a serious offence, it also covers all RFEF events including LaLiga, while Vazquez’s ban just applies in the Copa. Bellingham, meanwhile, was absconded as Madrid provided video evidence to contradict De Burgos Bengoetxea’s match report. The official claimed Bellingham approached the referees’ area in an ‘aggressive manner’ and had to be ‘restrained by his teammates’. Madrid provided video evidence to the RFEF’s disciplinary department which purported to show that Bellingham kept his distance and wasn’t held back by his teammates. The department concluded that: “The images provided prove a reality different from that described in the referee’s report. “There is no proximity to the referee, nor is there any evidence of aggressive behavior, nor can it be seen that his teammates restrained him to prevent an aggressive action directed at the referee, which is what the report explicitly states, and is not reflected.” When it comes to Rudiger, De Burgos Bengoetxea stated: “He was sent off for throwing an object from the technical area that missed me. “After being shown the red card, he had to be restrained by several members of the coaching staff, displaying an aggressive attitude.” Rudiger was one of three Madrid players to be sent offPremier Sports The RFEF rejected Madrid’s protest on this matter, and said that the former Chelsea defender breached Article 101 of the RFEF’s Disciplinary Code which prohibits ‘mild violence towards referees’. Rudiger could have been banned from four to 12 games for the offence, but with six he’ll serve the majority while injured. The 32-year-old has since had surgery on a meniscus tear and is not expected to return until the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. That means he’ll miss Madrid’s five remaining league matches this season and their opening game of the 2025/26 campaign. Rudiger offered an apology the day after his outburst but has received little sympathy with his temper roundly condemned. Reports from Spanish outlet Don Balon claim that Luka Modric accused the defender of ‘disrespecting the club’s badge’ in a dressing room confrontation. Meanwhile Sky Germany pundit Didi Hamann believed that Rudiger should also receive punishment back home, arguing: “The German Football Association must immediately suspend Rudiger from the national team.”

Antonio Rudiger has received a whopping six-game ban for his behaviour in the Copa del Rey final, while Jude Bellingham has got away scot-free.
Meanwhile their captain for the 3-2 defeat to Barcelona, Lucas Vazquez, has been handed two games, with the trio all sent off in the closing stages of the match.
Rudiger took the headlines as he shockingly threw a bag of ice from the touchline towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea before being held back by teammates as he completely lost his cool.
The Spanish football federation [RFEF] take referees’ reports into consideration when deciding bans, and concluded that Rudiger’s act was a ‘serious’ offense as the official noted the incident.
Given the fact it’s a serious offence, it also covers all RFEF events including LaLiga, while Vazquez’s ban just applies in the Copa.
Bellingham, meanwhile, was absconded as Madrid provided video evidence to contradict De Burgos Bengoetxea’s match report.
The official claimed Bellingham approached the referees’ area in an ‘aggressive manner’ and had to be ‘restrained by his teammates’.
Madrid provided video evidence to the RFEF’s disciplinary department which purported to show that Bellingham kept his distance and wasn’t held back by his teammates.
The department concluded that: “The images provided prove a reality different from that described in the referee’s report.
“There is no proximity to the referee, nor is there any evidence of aggressive behavior, nor can it be seen that his teammates restrained him to prevent an aggressive action directed at the referee, which is what the report explicitly states, and is not reflected.”
When it comes to Rudiger, De Burgos Bengoetxea stated: “He was sent off for throwing an object from the technical area that missed me.
“After being shown the red card, he had to be restrained by several members of the coaching staff, displaying an aggressive attitude.”
The RFEF rejected Madrid’s protest on this matter, and said that the former Chelsea defender breached Article 101 of the RFEF’s Disciplinary Code which prohibits ‘mild violence towards referees’.
Rudiger could have been banned from four to 12 games for the offence, but with six he’ll serve the majority while injured.
The 32-year-old has since had surgery on a meniscus tear and is not expected to return until the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
That means he’ll miss Madrid’s five remaining league matches this season and their opening game of the 2025/26 campaign.
Rudiger offered an apology the day after his outburst but has received little sympathy with his temper roundly condemned.
Reports from Spanish outlet Don Balon claim that Luka Modric accused the defender of ‘disrespecting the club’s badge’ in a dressing room confrontation.
Meanwhile Sky Germany pundit Didi Hamann believed that Rudiger should also receive punishment back home, arguing: “The German Football Association must immediately suspend Rudiger from the national team.”