Overview
- In the 27th minute at the Bernabéu, the Real Madrid defender struck Rico in the face with his knee, with referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz calling no foul and VAR taking no action.
- Rico publicly accused Rüdiger of intentional aggression, saying the defender tried to smash his face and arguing a smaller-club player would have received a lengthy ban.
- Former referees Alfonso Pérez Burrull and Iturralde González said the episode should have been reviewed and merited a red card, describing it as violent conduct.
- As of the latest reports, no retrospective sanction or formal review had been announced, keeping scrutiny focused on officiating standards and VAR consistency.
- The controversy has fed debate over Rüdiger’s place in Germany’s World Cup squad, with Julian Nagelsmann having previously said Rüdiger had reached his limit and recently noting his selection is not guaranteed and depends on form and fitness.