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The dust has settled on Real Madrid’s fiery Copa del Rey final, but the fallout is far from over.
Three Los Blancos players were sent off in a chaotic ending to their 3-2 extra-time loss to Barcelona — and now, the punishments are official.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has issued suspensions to Antonio Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez, while Jude Bellingham has had his red card overturned.
Emotions ran high in the dying moments, and the consequences will stretch into the next season.
The game, already a tension-packed affair against their biggest rivals, exploded after Jules Kounde’s late winner. Madrid’s frustration turned to fury.
And with cards flying like stray passes on a windy day, the final whistle didn’t end the drama — it only fueled it.
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How many matches will Rudiger, Vazquez and Bellingham miss due to red card ban?
Antonio Rudiger has been hit with a six-game ban after aggressively confronting the referee.
Despite being subbed off earlier, the German defender stormed the field and was caught hurling an object toward the official.
RFEF didn’t hold back, calling the act “unacceptable” and denying Madrid’s plea for a reduced punishment based on his apology.
To make matters worse — or perhaps easier for Carlo Ancelotti — Rudiger recently underwent knee surgery and will miss the rest of the season anyway.
Still, he won’t be eligible for Madrid’s La Liga opener next campaign, assuming he’s fit.
Lucas Vazquez didn’t escape either. The right-back received a two-game ban for joining the post-match protests from the sidelines.
That means he'll miss key upcoming league matches, including a possible title decider against Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham got the benefit of a second look. After reviewing the incident, the disciplinary committee found “a different version of events” than what was initially reported.
His red card has been thrown out, clearing him for the remaining fixtures.
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Vishal Bhawani is a sub-editor for the Affiliate Content team and a writer and sub-editor for the Football Wires team at The Sporting News. Based in Indore, India, he holds a Diploma in Operations and Management from Maharashtra University.
Before joining TSN in May 2024, Vishal contributed to Football Express and Six Sports and ran his own blog, Anfield Home, as a passionate Liverpool fan. An avid traveler, he follows multiple sports, including cricket, soccer, and tennis.
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