"Do I have to apologise for the fact that he let me live?" More harsh criticism of Real Madrid's Antonio Rüdiger

The incident occurred in early March during Real Madrid’s 0–1 loss to Getafe. After just under 30 minutes, the German defender kneed Rico—who was lying on the ground—in the face. Rico let out a loud scream, yet play went on. Referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz took no action against Rüdiger. VAR also took no action, despite the potential for a violent conduct charge or a serious foul.

Immediately after the match, Rico described the incident as “completely incomprehensible”, adding, “If he hits me badly, he leaves me lying on the pitch. He wanted to smash my face in.”

The tackle prompted extensive debate in the Spanish media. Former referee Alfonso Perrez Burrull told Radio Marca the incident “should have been reviewed by VAR, because in my view the Real Madrid defender should have been sent off.”

Journalist Dani Carrido on Cadena SER was more explicit: “Rüdiger could have broken his jaw on the spot,” he said. Juanma Castano of Cadena COPE went further, labelling it “one of the most brutal fouls we have ever seen”.

Only the Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo called for leniency, arguing that “the German got away with a challenge that deserved a yellow card.”

Rüdiger later insisted there was no malice in the challenge. “It looks horrific in slow motion,” he said, “but I didn’t kill him. If I’d gone in deliberately, I’d have hurt him. That was never my intention—I just play hard.”

Rüdiger had already made negative headlines back in April 2025 when, during the Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona, he threw a roll of tape at the referee and insulted him. He was handed a six-match ban by the Spanish Football Federation.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann weighed in, warning, “He has reached the limit. He shouldn’t allow himself to do any more of this, otherwise there will be serious consequences.”

He found himself back in the spotlight after Real Madrid’s quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich. Josip Stanisic accused the centre-back of insulting him during the game, following another controversial tackle. “I don’t need to discuss what happened while I was on the ground. You can ask Toni about that. In my opinion, behaviour like that is completely unacceptable,” Stanisic fumed, adding: “Just one word was said—and that twice. You can ask him yourself what he said. Perhaps he’s man enough to admit it!”