Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has apologized for his furious outburst at the referee following his team’s Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona.
The Germany international lost his cool deep into extra time after teammate Kylian Mbappe was pulled back for a foul just as he looked poised to score.
Rudiger had to be restrained by teammates and staff after hurling a small bag of ice onto the field and shouting angrily at the referee during the 3-2 defeat, which ended in the early hours of Sunday.
“There’s definitely no excuse for my behavior last night,” Rudiger wrote Sunday in an Instagram story. “I’m very sorry for that. We played a very good game from the second half on.”
Rudiger had gone off midway through the second period of extra time after earlier having his legs bandaged.
“After 111 minutes I was not able to help my team anymore and before the final whistle I made a mistake,” Rudiger said. “Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I disappointed last night.”
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea also handed out red cards to Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez for protesting.
De Burgos wrote in his match report that Rudiger “threw an object from the coaching area that didn’t reach me,” and that the Germany defender displayed “an aggressive attitude.”
Rudiger faces a possible multi-game suspension, while Bellingham and Vazquez likely face lesser sanctions.
The day before the final, De Burgos denounced a campaign to discredit him by Real Madrid’s official club television station.