Germany calls for Antonio Rudiger’s removal from national team following Copa del Rey red card and referee incident

Antonio Rudiger was sent off in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona for throwing a projectile at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, leading to a potential suspension.

Chirag

April 28, 2025

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger was sent off during Los Blancos’ Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona on Saturday after throwing a projectile at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea. The incident occurred when the official awarded a late foul to Barcelona. Rudiger, who had already been substituted off, is now facing the possibility of a lengthy suspension for his actions.

Thorsten Kinhofer, a former FIFA referee and current expert for German outlet BILD, has urged Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann to reconsider Rudiger’s place in the national team, calling the centre-back’s violent actions a “disgrace” to the country. Speaking to BILD (via Mundo Deportivo), Kinhofer said: “Rudiger’s behavior is a disgrace. The national team coach should think about whether such a person should continue to represent our country.”

A poll conducted by BILD, with over 18,000 participants, showed that a significant 78% of respondents believe the former Chelsea defender should be excluded from the German national team. Only 2% were undecided on the issue, while 20% felt that Rudiger should not face repercussions on the international stage.

Germany’s national team sporting director, Rudi Voller, has openly criticized Rudiger’s actions during the Copa del Rey final, though he indicated that it will not affect Rudiger’s national team status for now. Voller also revealed that Rudiger has already contacted both him and Nagelsmann regarding the incident.

Speaking to SID, Voller stated: “Toni is an excellent player, but as a member of the national team, he must demonstrate class in his actions. He rightly expects respect, but he must show the same respect to others at all times. In this case, he, along with some teammates, allowed themselves to get caught up in the highly charged atmosphere that often surrounds the club, sometimes even before the match starts. That is unacceptable, especially for a German international.

“Toni reached out to (national coach) Julian Nagelsmann and me yesterday, and we had an extensive conversation with him about the situation, both directly and internally with (DFB president) Bernd Neuendorf and (DFB sporting director) Andreas Rittig.”

Rudiger, now 32, is expected to miss the remainder of the season for Real Madrid, with Spanish media speculating that he could face a suspension of four to 12 games. Should a harsher punishment be imposed, it could jeopardize his participation in the Club World Cup in June.