
'No excuse': Real Madrid's Rudiger after throwing object at ref
The centre-back was substituted in extra-time and in the final stages of Barcelona's 3-2 Clasico victory, threw something at referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in protest.
Rudiger, who had to be held back from confronting the official by team-mates and staff, was shown a red card, with team-mates Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham also dismissed at the end of the game.
"There's definitely no excuse for my behaviour last night. I'm very sorry for that," said Rudiger in a post on Instagram.
"Before the final whistle I did a mistake. Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I have disappointed last night."
Rudiger could face a ban of between four and 12 matches for his actions, which could see him miss the upcoming La Liga Clasico on May 11.
Vazquez and Bellingham's red cards are likely to lead to bans in next season's Copa del Rey for being less serious infringements of the rules.
Before the final the two main referees complained about attacks from Real Madrid's club television channel against officials this season.
De Burgos Bengoetxea broke down in tears as he spoke about the impact on his family life of Real Madrid TV's criticism.
Los Blancos responded furiously, pulling out of pre-match commitments on Friday and labelling the officials' comments "unacceptable".
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


AFP
3 hours ago
- AFP
Video of firework display in China falsely linked to India-Pakistan conflict
"Pakistan's victory celebration in China," reads the sticker text on a TikTok video posted on May 15, 2025. The clip shows an elaborate drone and fireworks arrangement in the shape of a crescent moon. It surfaced days after a May 10 ceasefire halted four days of intense fighting between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, which was triggered by a deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-administered side of Kashmir in April (archived link). New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing the assault, a charge the latter denies. More than 70 people on both sides were killed in the jet fighter, missile, drone and heavy artillery attacks, with both sides now claiming victory in the worst violence between the neighbours in decades (archived link). China is Pakistan's largest arms supplier and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar confirmed that Islamabad used Chinese jets in the conflict (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false TikTok post, captured on June 3, 2025 The same footage was also used in similar posts on X, Facebook and Instagram. But the fireworks display predates the latest conflict -- it was put on by a Chinese city known as the birthplace of fireworks that hosted similar shows in April. A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to a similar clip shared on the official X account of the Chinese embassy in the United States on May 5 (archived link). "Hunan Liuyang's fireworks show just took it to the NEXT LEVEL. Witness "White Moon Blooms" pierce the night as galaxy glitter cascades over rippling waters," reads the video's caption. Liuyang city in China's central Hunan province is considered the birthplace of fireworks (archived here and here). Image Keyword searches on TikTok sister app Douyin found the video shared by the Chinese embassy was posted by a Hunan-based user on April 26. The user also shared various videos of fireworks displays in Liuyang. Image Screenshot of the Douyin post from April 26, 2025 A subsequent keyword search for "Liuyang" and "white moon blooms" on Douyin also found dozens of similar videos of the drone and fireworks display, with no mention of Pakistan. Image Screenshot of search results for "Liuyang" and "white moon blooms" on Douyin The city hosts several drone and fireworks displays each month, but a keyword search on Douyin led to videos of the full display on May 10 -- when the ceasefire came into effect -- which was themed around Mother's Day and did not feature a crescent moon. AFP has debunked other false and misleading claims related to the conflict between Pakistan and India here.


Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Portugal beats Spain in penalty shootout to win The Nations league
Portugal defeated Spain in penalty kicks 5- 3 to win the UEFA Nations League final late on Sunday after both sides failed to score in extra time following a showdown that ended 2-2. After Nuno Mendes, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and Goncalo Ramos all smoothly scored their penalties, Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved Spain's Álvaro Morata's spot kick before Neves converted his team's fifth to seal the win. The win marks the second Nations League trophy for Portugal after lifting the inaugural edition in 2019. Its victory against Spain, the reigning European champions, was hard-fought, as the Seleção had come back twice from behind. Cristiano Ronaldo sent the match to extra time when he equalised in the 61st minute with his record-extending 138th goal for Portugal. The 40-year-old Ronaldo went off to a standing ovation and a hug from coach Roberto Martínez in the 88th. The keenly contested final seemed destined for Spain after Mikel Oyarzabal had given Spain a 2-1 halftime lead. Oyarzabal squeezed the ball past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa in the 45th minute after Pedri played him through on goal. It was also Spain who drew the first blood after Martin Zubimendi broke the deadlock in the 21st minute with a tap-in when Portugal's defence failed to deal with Lamine Yamal's cross. Five minutes later, Portugal responded with Nuno Mendes levelling by drilling a low shot inside the far post. Lamine Yamal, the Spanish sensation and favourite to win the Ballon d'Or, was mostly marked out of the game by Portugal full-back Mendes, ensuring Yamal could pose no major threat before being subbed off in extra time. Earlier on Sunday, Kylian Mbappé led France to defeat host Germany 2-0 in Stuttgart, securing third place. The Real Madrid forward helped Les Bleus bounce back from a sluggish first half by scoring one goal and setting up another for Michael Olise. The goal was Mbappe's 50th for France in international competition.


France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Spain focused on World Cup after defeat, says coach
"From this very moment we are already thinking about the next World Cup, which is our goal. With the way we approach things, we are sure to go far in the future," de la Fuente said. "Our team is always in a position to win, there is a lot of commitment, a lot of roots. We will always be close to winning." Spain led twice but were twice pegged back before the match went to extra time with scores locked at 2-2. After each side converted their first three penalties, Spain forward Alvaro Morata's effort was saved by Diogo Costa and Portugal's Ruben Neves converted to win the shootout 5-3. De la Fuente said he was "proud" of his side. Spain won the 2023 Nations League and the Euros in 2024. Sunday's loss was their first competitive international defeat since going down to Scotland in March 2023 in a Euro qualifier. Spain's young core again impressed but the Nations League finals have again highlighted their reliance on midfielder Pedri. In Thursday's wild 5-4 win over France, Pedri came off the pitch with the score at 5-1 before France scored three late goals. On Sunday, Spain lost shape after the Barcelona midfield was subbed off late in the game. The coach admitted his players were tired after a long season, but praised Portugal. "Portugal have done things very well, they have players of the highest level," de la Fuente said. De la Fuente backed Morata after his penalty miss, saying the veteran striker was "a real champion" and "a benchmark for us."