Antonio Rüdiger has apologised for his red card during Real Madrid’s 3-2 Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona on Saturday. The defender was sent off after throwing an object onto the pitch and had to be restrained by teammates to prevent him from confronting the referee.

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Rüdiger received his red card from referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea in the 120th minute at La Cartuja stadium in Seville, just minutes after Jules Koundé scored Barcelona’s third goal in extra time.

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His dismissal was part of an ugly end to the game, with Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vázquez also sent off after the final whistle.

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According to the referee's report, Rüdiger — who had already been substituted — was shown a red card "for throwing an object from the technical area, without it reaching me" and then "had to be restrained by various members of the coaching staff, showing an aggressive attitude."

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Lucas Vázquez, another substitute, was dismissed for "entering the field of play" to protest against a foul given against Madrid. Jude Bellingham was later red-carded for "approaching our position with an aggressive attitude, having to be held back by teammates."

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Reacting to the incident, Rüdiger posted on social media on Sunday: "There's definitely no excuse for my behaviour last night. I'm very sorry for that. We played a very good game from the second half on. After 111 minutes, I was not able to help my team anymore and before the final whistle I did a mistake. Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I have disappointed last night."

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Footage showed Rüdiger removing an ice pack he was being treated with, appearing to throw it toward the field, while Madrid staff tried to calm him down.

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Tensions were already high before kickoff. Real Madrid boycotted their pre-match press conference, training session, and the official team photo to protest against comments made by referee De Burgos and VAR official Pablo González Fuertes during their own media briefing.

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Madrid accused the officials of showing "hostility and animosity" towards the club, pointing to videos aired by Real Madrid TV that had criticised refereeing decisions.

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This loss in the Copa del Rey final adds more pressure on Real Madrid and coach Carlo Ancelotti, especially after their earlier exit from the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage.

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