Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger has issued an apology following his angry reaction toward the referee after his team’s Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona.

The German international lost his temper when teammate Kylian Mbappé was fouled late in extra time, denying a potential goal-scoring opportunity, during Madrid’s 3-2 defeat early Sunday. Rüdiger, who had to be restrained by teammates and staff, was seen throwing a small ice bag onto the field and yelling at the referee.

“There’s no excuse for my behavior last night,” Rüdiger posted on Instagram on Sunday. “I sincerely apologize. From the second half onward, we played a very good game.”

Rüdiger, whose legs were bandaged during the match, was substituted midway through the second half of extra time.

“After 111 minutes, I could no longer help my team, and before the final whistle, I made a mistake,” he added. “Apologies again to the referee and to everyone I let down last night.”

Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea also issued red cards to Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vázquez for their protests.

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In his match report, De Burgos noted that Rüdiger "threw an object from the coaching area that didn’t reach me" and described his behavior as "aggressive."

Rüdiger could now face a multi-match suspension, while Bellingham and Vázquez are expected to receive lighter punishments.

A day before the final, De Burgos had criticized what he called a smear campaign against him by Real Madrid’s official television channel.