Rüdiger ensures scandal: demands for hard punishment for DFB star!

Rüdiger ensures scandal: demands for hard punishment for DFB star!

Antonio Rüdiger, defender of Real Madrid, is under strong pressure after a scandalous incident in the cup final against FC Barcelona (2: 3). The player received a red card after insulting the referee and threw an ice cube and a role Tape Association in his direction. This irresponsible behavior not only led to an immediate exclusion from the game, but could also bring him a lock of four to twelve games in Spain. The DFB sports director Rudi Völler expressed sharp criticism of Rüdiger's behavior and demanded more respect from him as a national player, especially in emotionally charged situations. "He is an outstanding footballer, but does not have to be influenced by the heated mood," said Völler in a statement.

Rüdiger himself reacted on Instagram, where he regretted his behavior and explained that there was “definitely no excuse” for his approach. Nevertheless, there are demands for further consequences from the DFB, including votes from ex-international players such as Dietmar Hamann and Lothar Matthäus, which consider suspension. Jens Lehmann, on the other hand, joined the defenders of Rüdiger and emphasized the emotional facets of football.

Rüdiger's previous misconduct

This is not the first incident that Rüdiger focuses on. As early as June 2023, he caused a sensation after an incident at the airport and most recently in March 2024 with a controversial Instagram post. In addition, in February 2025, after a victory over Real Sociedad, he made a controversial gesture, which promptly caused a penalty of 40,000 euros through the UEFA. Apparently the current incident in April 2025 could lead to Rüdiger also held accountable in the national jersey.

in Spain, Real Madrid has a positive development towards one in a different context.

Responsible handling of racist statements. For example, a user who insulted Rüdiger and Vinícius Jr.

psychological support in German football

The problems with which Rüdiger is currently confronted also have a lightly impact on the challenges with which many athletes have to deal with professional sport. According to a report by the German wave, around five percent of top athletes suffer from depression, a share that is comparable to the general population. In particular since the death of national goalkeeper Robert Enke in 2009, German football has started to deal more intensively with mental illnesses.

Experts such as sports psychologist Rene Paasch call for a paradigm shift in the field of sports psychology. The DFB has made sports psychologists into duty in young academies in recent years and sees progress in sports psychological support, even if the Covid 19 pandemic has some challenges. Christoph Herr, coordinator of psychology at DFB, emphasizes the need to improve the image of sports psychology in order to be able to better support athletes like Rüdiger.