Overview
- Getafe defender Diego Rico repeated on the podcast La Otra Grada that he cannot forgive Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger for a knee to his face and said the defender crossed a line.
- In the league match at the Santiago Bernabéu on March 2, 2026, Rüdiger’s knee struck Rico as he lay on the ground, the referee let play continue, and the video assistant did not step in.
- Spain’s referees’ committee (CTA) later labeled the action violent behavior and said it should have resulted in a red card.
- Rüdiger has denied malicious intent, saying replays look awful but insisting he did not mean to hurt Rico and that he plays hard but within his limits.
- Despite the CTA’s view and fresh criticism, there have been no public national-team or club sanctions, and the episode has added to wider scrutiny of Rüdiger’s on-field conduct.