Sofia Quijada
Rico Alleges Intentional Foul from Rüdiger in Getafe-Real Madrid Clash
Getafe’s Diego Rico has accused Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger of intentionally fouling him during their recent La Liga match, which saw Getafe secure a 1-0 victory over the league giants. Rico claims Rüdiger deliberately struck him in the face with his knee while he was on the ground.
The incident occurred midway through the first half. Despite the severity of the contact, the referee did not sanction Rüdiger, nor did the VAR intervene. Rüdiger, a 33-year-old center-back and German international, holds a market value of €12.00 million.
“No other professional would go after a player on the ground with such malice and hit him so brutally with their knee when the ball wasn’t even in that area,” Rico, 33, told Spanish radio station Cope. “If it had been the other way around, I would have been banned for ten games or wouldn’t have played at all this season.”
Rico, a left-back, required treatment after the collision but was able to complete the match.
Antonio Rudiger escapes red card. Source: Sports Sky
Rüdiger’s History of Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Antonio Rüdiger has faced scrutiny in the past for unsportsmanlike actions, even drawing a reprimand from German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann. Rüdiger’s last appearance for the DFB was in September 2025, sidelined by injury.
“Antonio has a great ability, these are the one-on-one situations in tight spaces, there he is exceptionally good, a really good tackler. Antonio has to be 100 percent fit and healthy. If he has ailments, which he sometimes had with us, he doesn’t reach his performance limit, and that makes no sense then. But he’s on a good path there,” Nagelsmann recently stated in a Kicker interview.
The recent match results stand as follows:
- Real Madrid 0:1 FC Getafe (March 2, 2026, 21:00)
- Goal: Martin Satriano, 39th minute
Barcelona currently leads the La Liga standings.
Team and Player Information
- Diego Rico (FC Getafe): Born February 23, 1993 (33 years old), Contract until June 30, 2026, Position: Left-Back, Market value: €1.20 million.
- Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid): Born March 3, 1993 (33 years old), Contract until June 30, 2026, Position: Center-Back, Market value: €12.00 million.
Real Madrid has a total market value of €1.36 billion and sits in the 2nd position in La Liga. Their coach is Álvaro Arbeloa, with a squad size of 26. Their most recent transfer was Franco Mastantuono.
FC Getafe has a total market value of €80.90 million and occupies the 11th spot. José Bordalás is their coach, with a squad of 25 players. Veljko Birmancevic was their latest transfer.