Rüdiger, Vázquez Suspended Post Copa del Rey Final; Bellingham Cleared

Madrid, Spain — Antonio Rüdiger, a defender for Real Madrid, has been suspended for six matches due to a red card received during the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 26, 2025. The Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee ruled that Rüdiger acted with ‘light violence’ toward the referees, evidenced by his behavior after the match.

Alongside Rüdiger’s suspension, Lucas Vázquez received a two-match ban for his protests during the same game. However, Jude Bellingham, who was also sent off, has escaped punishment after video evidence cleared him of any wrongdoing.

The committee’s decision confirmed Rüdiger’s suspension will take effect immediately, meaning he will miss all remaining La Liga matches this season and the first game next season, pending any changes to the ruling. Rüdiger had been substituted in the game and was dismissed for throwing an object toward the officials and displaying aggressive behavior, as documented in the match report by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.

“After being shown the red card, he had to be restrained by team staff,” the report read. Following the incident, Rüdiger publicly apologized on social media, saying, “There is no excuse for my behavior.” However, his apology did not affect the committee’s ruling.

On the other hand, Vázquez’s suspension will only affect future cup competitions, allowing him to play in the league’s final matches this season. The reasoning for his ban cites ‘repeated protests’ to the referee as grounds for the red card.

Regarding Bellingham, the committee found no evidence supporting the claim he acted aggressively toward the referees. His team submitted video footage showing he maintained a significant distance from the officials after the game, negating any allegation of aggressive actions.

“The images show he was more than 15 meters away from the referees, making it impossible to conclude he was approaching them aggressively,” noted the ruling from the Disciplinary Committee.

The decisions come as a significant blow to Real Madrid’s defense, which is already reeling from injuries. In addition to Rüdiger and Vázquez’s suspensions, Ferland Mendy and David Alaba are sidelined for several weeks, further stretching the squad.

Alaba is facing surgery for a meniscus injury and is expected to be out for six to eight weeks, while Mendy has a more lengthy recovery ahead of him. In contrast, the only positive news from the training camp was the improvement in Dani Ceballos‘s left ankle sprain, allowing him a potential return for their next fixture against Celta.