It has now been officially confirmed that Real Madrid will be without one of their most important players for the rest of the season, after the Spanish Football Federation ruled on the fiery scenes that took place in the closing stages of last weekend's Copa del Rey final at La Cartuja.

The Real Madrid dugout was furious at referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea's decision to call a foul on Kylian Mbappe in the final minute of extra time, which ultimately led to three players being sent off. Antonio Rudiger attempted to approach the official in an aggressive manner, which left him facing the prospect of an extended ban.

And that has now been confirmed, with Diario AS reporting that the federation's disciplinary committee has handed Rudiger a six-match ban, which will apply to all competitions.

As per De Burgos Bengoetxea’s referee report, Rudiger was sent off for “throwing an object from the technical area without hitting me. After being shown the red card, he had to be restrained by several members of the coaching staff, showing an aggressive attitude.” And the Disciplinary Committee have taken a dim view, with the suspension ruling him out for the remainder of this season, as well as the first match of the 2025-26 campaign.

However, Real Madrid have already anticipated Rudiger's ban, with the Germany international having undergone knee surgery in the last 24 hours, ruling him out until the Club World Cup.

Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham were the other two players to be sent off on Saturday, and while the former has been handed a two-match ban that will only apply to the Copa del Rey, the England midfielder has been spared a ban as the committee ruled that he did not deserve to be sent off. As a result, he will be able to play against Celta Vigo this weekend.