Real Madrid defender Rüdiger gets 6-game ban for conduct toward referee

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Real Madrid defender Rüdiger gets 6-game ban for conduct toward referee

2025-04-30 04:13 Last Updated At：04:21

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger was handed a six-game ban Tuesday for his conduct toward a referee during the team’s loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.

Rüdiger shouted at the referee and seemed to throw a small bag of ice during extra time in Madrid’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona on Saturday.

The disciplinary committee of the Spanish football federation said Rüdiger’s ban was for “minor violence” toward the officials.

Another Madrid player, Lucas Vazquez, was handed a two-match suspension because of his protest toward the match officials.

Rüdiger has since apologized for his behavior but the incident prompted former Germany player Dietmar Hamann to call Sunday for the defender to be left out of Germany’s squad for the Nations League final four in June.

The 32-year-old Rüdiger successfully underwent surgery on a meniscus tear in his left knee on Tuesday and will begin “his recovery process shortly.” The club did not give a timeline for his return but the recovery is expected to take several weeks.

Rüdiger said surgery was “unavoidable” after playing through “severe pain.”

“Now I'm finally pain-free again, and the surgery was a success,” he said on Instagram in a post that included photos of him in the hospital after the surgery, one in bed and another in a wheelchair while holding crutches.

“I want to be able to play again as soon as possible as two big tournaments with the Nations League and the Club World Cup are in front of me, but I have to look from week to week now and we will see. I will do everything I can to make it happen.”

Germany plays Portugal in the Nations League semifinals in Munich on June 4. Madrid's first game at the Club World Cup in the United States is on June 18.

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Bride and groom among 8 killed in gas cylinder blast at wedding in Pakistan’s capital

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.