Antonio Rudiger could be banned for the Champions League quarter-final first leg clash between Arsenal and Real Madrid, according to reports.
Rudiger is a key player in central defence for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who face the Gunners at the Emirates on Tuesday in a mouth-watering battle.
The 32-year-old Germany international, who joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2022, is facing a possible one-match suspension from UEFA.
It relates to Rudiger’s ‘defiant gesture’ during Real Madrid’s wild celebrations after their triumph over Atletico Madrid in the last 16.
Rudiger is alleged to have made a throat-slitting gesture towards the Atletico Madrid fans after Real Madrid’s dramatic victory on penalties.
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According to Spanish outlet Marca, Real Madrid will learn on Friday the UEFA disciplinary committee’s decision regarding the incident.
Fellow Real Madrid stars Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe and Dani Ceballos are also under investigation for their celebrations and may be punished too.
Rudiger’s case is considered different to the other three, though, with his alleged gesture ‘considered threatening’ and ‘not well received’.
Atletico Madrid supporters were left furious by the celebrations of Real Madrid players after their game at the Metropolitano Stadium and reacted by throwing objects onto the pitch.
It is thought that Vinicius Jr, Mbappe and Ceballos may escape with a fine but Rudiger could well be suspended for the first leg clash against Arsenal.
Marca reports that Rudiger’s ‘presence against Arsenal is in doubt’ in what would be a huge boost for the north Londoners should he miss the match.
Rudiger has played 145 games for Real Madrid to date and helped them clinch a La Liga and Champions League double last season.
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The German is well known in England due to his five-year spell at Chelsea from 2017 to 2022, in which he helped the Blues win the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.
Last term, Rudiger was named in both the La Liga Team of the Season and Champions League Team of the Season.
Ancelotti insists his players have ‘done nothing wrong’ ahead of Friday’s verdict from the UEFA disciplinary committee.
‘We are confident on [the] UEFA investigation,’ the Real Madrid boss said. ‘We wait for [the] verdict, but our players didn’t do anything wrong. We are confident in UEFA’s verdict as the players had just celebrated, that’s it.’
In a similar case at Euro 2024, Jude Bellingham was given a one-game ban suspended for a probationary period of one year and slapped with a fine for how he celebrated a last-gasp goal for England against Slovakia.
Bellingham gestured his hand toward his crotch, with UEFA disciplinary judges finding him guilty of ‘violating the basic rules of decent conduct’.