Real Madrid star defender Antonio Rudiger has issued an apology for throwing an object at the referee leading to a red card from the referee during their Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona on Saturday.

Rudiger, along with teammate Lucas Vazquez, reacted angrily to a foul called against fellow teammate Kylian Mbappe in the 3-2 loss.

Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea detailed the reason for Rudiger's dismissal in his official report, stating the centre-back, 32, was sent off for "throwing an object from the technical area, which missed me."

Reports indicate the object thrown by Rudiger was an ice cube.

Taking to Instagram, Rudiger, a German international, addressed the incident directly. "There's definitely no excuse for my behaviour," he posted on his story. "I'm very sorry for that. Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I have disappointed."

Adding to Real Madrid's late-game challenges, their English midfielder Jude Bellingham, 21, was also shown a red card for dissent shortly after the initial incident.

There are concerns Rudiger faces the possibility of a suspension. According to the disciplinary code of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), if his actions are deemed "mild violence" towards a referee under article 101, he could be banned for between four and 12 matches.

Should the RFEF consider his actions more severe, falling under Article 104, which covers "assault against referees", the potential ban could range from three to six months if "the act was a single act and did not cause any harmful consequences."

Furthermore, if the act is judged to have posed a "serious risk" even without the referee requiring medical attention, the suspension could be extended to between six months and a year.