Real Madrid defender, Antonio Rudiger has apologised for his red card in the club’s 3-2 Copa del Rey final defeat against Barcelona.
The German centre-back angrily threw an object on the pitch in the heat of the moment, and many of his teammates even had to stop him from confronting the referee.
The ex-Chelsea player was immediately sent off by the ref for violent behaviour, while his fellow agitated teammates, Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vázquez, earned their marching orders as well at the final whistle.
In what came across as a heartfelt apology via his social media page, Rudiger wrote that he is deeply sorry for his reckless act in such a decisive game, and there is absolutely no excuse for how he acted towards a match official.
According to him, he feels angry with himself for letting the team down after a brilliant 2nd half, and he hopes everyone he disappointed last night will forgive him for his needless mistake.
“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,” he said.
The Copa del Rey final was eventually played despite tension rising after Real Madrid boycotted their pre-match news conference and training to protest against referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea for allegedly displaying animosity toward the club in a recent interview.
Real Madrid believed the official displayed hostility towards the club with his statement during the interview, but immediately confirmed that the final will go ahead as planned, with their players partaking for the sake of the loyal supporters.
The recent cup final loss for Los Blancos has led to more criticism for Carlo Ancelotti and the team after they were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarterfinals against Arsenal.
