The European footballing body reaffirmed its original ruling from April, which fined three Real Madrid players for their conduct against Atletico Madrid
UEFA has upheld disciplinary sanctions against Real Madrid and three of its players following incidents in two separate matches earlier this year. The club’s appeals were formally rejected on Monday, confirming both financial penalties and conditional suspensions.
The European footballing body reaffirmed its original ruling from April, which fined Antonio Rudiger €40,000, Kylian Mbappe €30,000, and Dani Ceballos €20,000 for their conduct after Real Madrid’s heated clash with Atletico Madrid in March.
All three players were also handed suspended one-match bans, to be enforced if similar behaviour occurs within the next 12 months.
The sanctions followed a complaint filed by Atletico Madrid, citing unsportsmanlike conduct. UEFA found Rudiger’s throat-slitting gesture and Mbappe’s taunting of the home crowd in violation of Article 11 of the disciplinary regulations, which govern standards of behaviour.
“The appeal filed by Real Madrid CF is dismissed,” UEFA said in a statement. “The decision of the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body dated 4 April 2025 is confirmed.”
The ruling adds pressure to Real Madrid, whose players have been under scrutiny for other offences last season. Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez were also handed suspensions for their behaviour towards a referee during the Copa del Rey clash against Barcelona, with the former receiving a six-match ban for throwing an ice pack at the match official.
Ceballos, while not in the spotlight as prominently as his teammates, was also included in UEFA’s disciplinary action for his post-match conduct.
UEFA also upheld a separate €15,000 fine against Madrid related to racist behaviour by their fans during the Champions League quarter-final tie away at Arsenal. The incident occurred in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium, leading to an investigation and subsequent penalty under UEFA’s zero-tolerance stance on discriminatory behaviour.
Real Madrid’s attempts to overturn the rulings through internal appeal have now been exhausted. The only step remaining to the club is to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), though it is unlikely to pursue that option.
