Following Real Madrid's 0:1 defeat to Getafe, Getafe defender Diego Rico accused Real player Antonio Rüdiger of intentionally kneeing him in the face. The incident occurred in the first half while Rico was on the ground. Rico voiced strong criticism in an interview.
In the La Liga match between Real Madrid and FC Getafe over the weekend, Real Madrid lost 0:1. In the middle of the first half, Getafe left-back Diego Rico engaged in a duel with Real midfielder Arda Güler and fell to the ground. The referee did not call a foul. Real defender Antonio Rüdiger, 33 years old and a German international, attempted to reach the ball but lost his balance and struck Rico in the face with his left knee.
Neither the referee nor the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened. Rico received medical treatment but was able to finish the game. In an interview with Spanish radio station Cope, Rico accused Rüdiger of intentionally committing the act. "No other professional would go at a player on the ground with such malice and hit him so brutally with the knee when the ball wasn't even in that area," Rico said. He added that he had exchanged words with Rüdiger shortly before after a scuffle. "If it had been the other way around, I would have been suspended for ten games or wouldn't have played this season at all."
Rüdiger's season with Real Madrid has been hampered by injuries; the Euro 2024 participant has only made nine league appearances so far. National team coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed uncertainty in an interview with Kicker magazine about nominating Rüdiger for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
