Revealed: Antonio Rudiger could be hit by staggering ban following Copa del Rey meltdown in dramatic loss to Barcelona as even the German FA slam his ‘unacceptable’ behaviour

Antonio Rudiger could face a mammoth 12-match ban after he threw ice at the referee during Real Madrid’s dramatic Copa del Rey final defeat.

The former Chelsea defender lost his cool and received a red card for throwing an ice pack towards Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea after arguing against a decision in the final stages of their 3-2 loss to bitter rivals Barcelona.

Jules Kounde scored in the 116th minute to seal victory and their 32nd Copa del Rey title in the El Clasico at Seville’s La Cartuja stadium.

Rudiger, who moved to the Bernabeu in 2022, had to be restrained by Ferland Mendy and a Madrid staff member when the official approached to send him off. 

He could be seen insulting the referee, with some reports claiming the defender said ‘you’re a miscarriage’ and ‘son of a wh***’. 

The referee said in his post-match report that Rudiger was sent off for: ‘throwing an object from the technical area, which missed me.’

He added the German international displayed ‘an aggressive attitude.’ 

Rudiger, who has since apologised, could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines with the Spanish Football Federation disciplinary code stating that ‘mild violence’ towards the referee could result in a 12-game ban.

However, he could be banned for up to six months if his actions are deemed as ‘assault against referees’.

If the act is believed to have posed a ‘serious risk’, the suspension could last up to a year. 

Following Madrid’s loss, Rudiger wrote:  ‘There’s definitely no excuse for my behaviour last night. I’m very sorry for that.

‘We played a very good game from the 2nd 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.’

German national team sporting director Rudi Voller has since criticised the defender.

‘Toni is a great player, but as a national team player, he must also show class in his behaviour. He rightly demands respect for himself, but he must extend that same respect to others without exception.  

‘In this case, he and some teammates allowed themselves to be swept up by the extremely heated atmosphere that, inexplicably, often surrounds the club even before kickoff. That is unacceptable, particularly for a German international.’

As well as Rudiger, Lucas Vazquez was sent off after storming on to the pitch to protest a call which saw Barcelona awarded a free-kick for a foul by Kylian Mbappe during Madrid’s final attack. 

England star Jude Bellingham was shown a red card after the final whistle for ‘approaching the referee aggressively’ and needing ‘to be restrained by team-mates’.

A clip that has circulated on social media shows him ranting: ‘Everything 50/50 goes their way, everything 50/50.’

Madrid now face a trophyless season having also been dumped out of the Champions League by Arsenal. 

They remain four points behind Barcelona with just five La Liga fixtures left this season. 

Their anger towards the official came amid criticism directed at him from the club’s in-house TV channel which brought Bengoetxea to tears and threatened to result in the cancellation of the fixture.

Real Madrid TV broadcasted a video showing his mistakes and highlighting that he had never been in charge of a Champions League or FIFA level match before the match. 

Bengoetxea teartfully urged the attacks to stop during his pre-match press conference.

In turn, Madrid boycotted several pre-match activities, leading to fears that they would snub the clash. However, late on Friday, the club released a statement insisting that they ‘never intended’ to boycott the game.

Rudiger’s actions in Seville could see his season ended. In 2012, then Granada midfielder Dani Benitez was banned for three months for throwing a bottle at an official.

Meanwhile, manger Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint at Real Madrid looks set to come to an end when the season finishes. 

The Italian, who is the only manager to have won all of Europe’s top five leagues, is believed to be closing in on a move to Brazil.