Astonishing sending-off: What did Rudiger throw at the referee to get a red card?

Real Madrid lost a dramatic Copa del Rey final to Barcelona on Saturday, falling to a 3-2 defeat against the old rivals.

Barcelona won out thanks to a brilliant late strike from Jules Kounde, snatching the trophy with just minutes remaining in extra-time. Madrid pushed for a leveller but a promising break from Kylian Mbappé was halted when referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea blew for a soft foul. The Frenchman had been making progress down the left flank and approaching the Barcelona penalty box when his hand inadvertently flicked a Barcelona defender’s face.

The entire Madrid bench was infuriated by the decision to award a free kick but Antonio Rudiger took it one step further, hurling what appeared to be a pack of bandages in the official’s direction. Rudiger was swiftly shown the red card and Madrid were unable to find another goal.

The defender will now face a suspension and could be hit with stiffer punishment when the refereeing committee has the chance to reinvestigate the shocking incident. He was not the only one caught up in the emotions on Saturday, with teammate Vinicius Jr also dismissed for his reaction to that late call from the referee.

Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti is expected to leave the club at the end of this season and he will need to use all of his experience to regather his team to challenge for the title. This month has brought a resounding Champions League loss to Arsenal and a heart-breaking Copa del Rey defeat to Barcelona, can Madrid salvage the season with a record 37th LaLiga title.

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