Antonio Rüdiger’s outburst in the Spanish Cup final is also a matter of concern for the DFB. Rudi Völler criticized the defender’s behavior in no uncertain terms.
His outburst in the lost Copa del Rey final has also earned Antonio Rüdiger a clear rebuke from the DFB. “Toni is a great player – but as a national player, he must also show class in his behavior. He rightly demands respect for himself, and he must also show this respect to others without exception,” DFB sporting director Rudi Völler told SID on Monday.
Talks with Rüdiger took place on Sunday, including with national coach Julian Nagelsmann. “Toni contacted Julian and me yesterday, and we talked at length about the situation. Directly with him, but also internally with Bernd Neuendorf and Andreas Rettig,” Völler revealed.
Rüdiger is an “emotional guy, a fighter on the pitch” and should remain so. “But in this case, he and some of his teammates allowed themselves to be overly influenced by the extremely heated atmosphere that had already been building up around the club before the game, which was inexplicably prevalent on many occasions,” said Völler, making it very clear: “That’s not acceptable. Especially not as a German international.” Rüdiger needs to ‘change.’
The 32-year-old center back had already been substituted in Saturday’s match against FC Barcelona when, shortly before the end of extra time, he threw a roll of tape from the bench toward referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea after the latter had blown the whistle for an offensive foul by Madrid. Rüdiger was shown a red card and had to be restrained by teammates. He also insulted the referee in German.
The 79-time international, who has been playing for Real since 2022, faces up to a 12-match ban. Shortly after the final, which Barca won 3-2, he apologized for his behavior on his social media channels. The Royals, who are facing a title-less season after their quarter-final exit from the Champions League, will face Barca again in the La Liga title race on May 11—certainly without Rüdiger.
