How many matches will Antonio Rudiger miss? Fresh reports emerge on Real Madrid star’s ban

Fresh reports have revealed how many matches Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger will miss. This comes after the centre-back reacted brashly towards the referee during the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.

The match ended as a huge success for the Blaugrana and a second trophy in Catalonia for Hansi Flick. The German tactician masterminded a 3-2 win in extra time over Carlo Ancelotti, beating the Italian general for the third consecutive time this season.

Late in the game (120′), Rudiger threw an object towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea from the technical area after he had been substituted. While the object did not hit the referee, the defender’s conduct was enough to warrant a straight red card.

The 32-year-old reacted by angrily rushing towards the referee, but he was restrained by staff and other players. According to a report from El Partidazo de Cope (via Madrid Xtra on X), his actions are expected to result in severe sanctions. It is believed that he could be banned for between four and 12 matches.

He was not the only player to receive a red card, as Real Madrid teammates Lucas Vasquez and Jude Bellingham were shown red for their protests. However, their situation will likely not be deemed as serious as Rudiger’s. The Spanish Football Federation will likely announce the final decision on the extent of the 32-year-old’s suspension.

Kounde’s extra-time stunner crushes Real Madrid’s hopes in Copa del Rey final

Jules Kounde’s 116th-minute strike was everything Barcelona needed to clinch a drama-filled 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on April 26. The El Clasico clash took place at Seville’s Estadio La Cartuja, where Spanish royalty watched on as Barca won their 32nd trophy in the competition.

The Blaugrana opened up the scoring through Pedri in the 28th minute. It took until the second half for Los Blancos to respond, as Kylian Mbappe equalized with a direct free kick in the 70th minute. When Aurelien Tchouameni scored from a corner routine in the 77th minute, the Spanish giants thought they had done it all.

However, Ferran Torres rounded goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to score into an empty net with 84 minutes on the clock, pushing the game into extra time. It took until the 116th minute for Jules Kounde to power a low rocket to seal the trophy win for Barcelona, knocking Real Madrid out.

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Nnanna is a European and international football journalist who has been covering news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda for around 5 years. A keen interest in reading and football since an early age, watching games at local stadiums with family paved the way for him to take up the sport professionally.

Nnanna’s favorite club is English team Bolton Wanderers because he witnessed Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha’s play for them between 2002 and 2006. His favorite footballer is Ronaldinho due to the Brazilian’s love for the sport and admires Pep Guardiola for redefining football tactics. As a former literature student, Nnanna reckons that the best way of connecting with the readers is to add a bit of empathy in his writing, and relies on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and WhoScored for his articles.

Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup trophy in 2022 is Nnanna’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and also follows Major League Soccer due to the diminutive Argentine. He strongly believes that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could be the next two superstars in the same light as legendary pair Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

When not writing, he likes to play Football Manager and other simulation games.

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Edited by Nnanna Mba