Rüdiger Apologizes: His Message After the Incident with the Referee in the Cup Final

One of the most criticized footballers by Real Madrid after the Copa del Rey final was Antonio Rüdiger. Not only because of the physical discomfort that forced him to be replaced during the second half of extra time, but also because of what happened in the final minutes of the same.

The outrage over an incorrectly refereed action, according to Madrid's criteria, led Antonio Rüdiger to throw an object at Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea. Fortunately, that small projectile did not hit the referee, but the referee's report of the match records that attempt. Meanwhile, de Burgos Bengoetxea notes that Rüdiger showed "an aggressive attitude" after being sent off.

According to Article 101 of the Disciplinary Code, Antonio Rüdiger faces a sanction that would range between four and twelve matches of suspension and with immediate effect. That means Real Madrid would lose the Berlin defender for the final stretch of the current league campaign, in which there are still chances of victory against FC Barcelona.

After a brief period of reflection on what happened both on and off the field at La Cartuja, the Real Madrid player has issued a brief statement. On his Instagram account, Antonio Rüdiger made it clear that "there is no excuse for my behavior last night, I'm very sorry".

Maximum Sincerity

The footballer noted that "we played a very good match from the second half until the end. After 111 minutes I couldn't help the team anymore and before the final whistle I made a mistake", he notes, recalling his disputed and questionable attitude and actions when he had been substituted.

Antonio Rüdiger apologizes once again: "sorry again to the referee and to all the people I disappointed last night" after a surprisingly uncharacteristic behavior from the German center-back. Despite his charismatic figure of 'the Madman' among the white supporters, such a similar proportion of anger had not been seen from Antonio Rüdiger until now.

Despite the tense circumstances surrounding the match, Antonio Rüdiger knows there is no possible justification for his attitude... as he himself has reminded in his brief official statement on social media. Meanwhile, the player is expected to comply with the imposed sanction after his actions from Real Madrid's bench.

The Copa del Rey final has left mixed feelings in the merengue team. On one hand, many Madridists leave with positive feelings about the players' performance, especially from the second half. But they also leave with the sadness of having lost to FC Barcelona in a final that seemed extremely important for this season.