Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, left, challenges for the ball with Barcelona’s Ferran Torres during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, left, challenges for the ball with Barcelona’s Ferran Torres during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid’s R眉diger rebuked by Germany’s sporting director over ice incident in Copa del Rey
BERLIN (AP) 鈥 Antonio R眉diger needs to show 鈥渃lass鈥 and respect for others, German national team sporting director Rudi V枚ller has said, after the defender appeared to throw ice toward the referee during Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey loss to Barcelona.
Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, left, challenges for the ball with Barcelona’s Ferran Torres during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
BERLIN (AP) 鈥 Antonio R眉diger needs to show 鈥渃lass鈥 and respect for others, German national team sporting director Rudi V枚ller has said, after the defender appeared to throw ice toward the referee during Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey loss to Barcelona.
R眉diger shouted at the referee and seemed to during extra time in Madrid’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona on Saturday.
R眉diger has since but the incident prompted former Germany player Dietmar Hamann to call Sunday for the defender to be left out of Germany’s squad for the Nations League final four in June.
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鈥淵ou can’t do that. And especially not as a player for the German national team. He needs to change that and he knows that himself, his public reaction shows that,鈥 V枚ller told the dpa news agency in comments published Monday. 鈥淭oni is a classy player, but as a player for the German national team he also needs to display class in his behavior. He rightly demands respect for himself (and) he needs to show this same respect to others without exception.鈥
V枚ller’s comments did not address whether R眉diger’s conduct could have any impact on national team selection. He added he didn’t want R眉diger to tone down his emotional approach to the game.
鈥淭oni is an excellent soccer player and a very emotional guy, a fighter on the field,鈥 V枚ller said. 鈥淎nd he should stay that way.鈥
Germany plays Portugal in the Nations League semifinals in Munich on June 4.
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