In a recent decision, UEFA has sanctioned Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé and Antonio Rüdiger with fines but spared them from bans for their role in “indecent” celebrations following a Champions League match. The football body announced on Friday that both players received a suspended one-game ban due to “violating the basic rules of decent conduct,” yet this penalty is contingent upon a one-year probationary period.
Real Madrid is set to face off against Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday. This follows the controversial post-match behavior displayed by the players after a penalty shootout victory over local adversaries Atlético Madrid in the round of 16, which took place on March 12.
Footage widely shared on social media platforms depicted Mbappé making an inappropriate gesture on the field. Subsequently, UEFA levied fines amounting to 40,000 euros ($44,000) for Rüdiger and 30,000 euros ($33,000) for Mbappé. Meanwhile, Dani Ceballos, another member of the Madrid squad, incurred a fine of 20,000 euros ($22,000) without any applied suspension.
On the other hand, no charges were pressed against Vinícius Júnior, who had initially been under scrutiny. This ruling echoes a past incident involving Jude Bellingham, yet another Madrid player, who received a similar disciplinary action for an analogous gesture during the 2024 European Championship while with England. Bellingham was fined 30,000 euros ($33,000) following his actions after equalizing against Slovakia during extra time.
Bellingham’s probationary status was still active during the Atlético match, where all three players – Mbappé, Rüdiger, and Bellingham – successfully executed their penalties in the decisive shootout. Atlético won the second leg by 1-0, setting the aggregate score at 2-2.