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German defender Antonio Rudiger has been slapped with an extended ban after his red card for Real Madrid against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final
Real Madrid’s week has gone from bad to worse following their Copa del Rey heartbreak, as they now face a defensive crisis with three key players officially ruled out for the rest of the season.
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From Antonio Rudiger’s fiery red card and suspension to brutal injuries for Ferland Mendy and David Alaba, Carlo Ancelotti’s side finds itself decimated at a pivotal stage in their title chase.
Rudiger slapped with six-game ban after chaotic Copa del Rey finale
The aftermath of the Copa del Rey final has left Real Madrid fuming and significantly weakened. After tempers flared late in extra time due to a controversial foul call on Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger lost his composure and aggressively approached the referee, Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea.
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Although he didn’t make contact, he was shown a red card for throwing an object from the technical area and behaving in a threatening manner.
Now, the Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee has ruled: Rudiger is suspended for six matches across all competitions, which wipes him out for the remainder of the current season and even the opening game of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Though the suspension itself is hefty, Real Madrid had already anticipated his absence after the German defender underwent knee surgery just 24 hours before the decision came down. He is expected to be sidelined until the Club World Cup this summer.
Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham were also sent off in the final, though with different outcomes. Vazquez received a two-match Copa del Rey ban, while Bellingham avoided any further punishment after the Committee ruled his red card was unwarranted, making him eligible to face Celta Vigo this weekend.
Injury crisis deepens with Mendy and Alaba also sidelined
Just as Rudiger’s fate was sealed, Real Madrid’s injury list took another crushing hit. Hours after confirming Rudiger’s surgery, the club revealed that Ferland Mendy suffered a hamstring tear during the Copa del Rey defeat.
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The French left-back will miss the rest of the season and is not expected to return until the start of the next campaign.
As if that weren’t enough, the situation worsened when Real Madrid announced that David Alaba had torn the internal meniscus in his left knee. The Austrian defender, who only recently returned from an ACL injury suffered in December 2023, will now require surgery again.
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Although he didn’t play in the final against Barcelona, the injury likely occurred during training. Alaba’s recovery timeline mirrors that of Rudiger, and both are aiming to be fit for the Club World Cup.
With Mendy and Alaba both out, and Rudiger suspended and injured, Ancelotti’s defensive options have been brutally slashed. Fran Garcia now stands as the only natural left-back available, while the centre-back duties may fall to makeshift options like Aurelien Tchouameni, Raul Asencio, or Jesus Vallejo.
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