A heavy blow for Real Madrid… Rodrygo suspended for two European matches
UEFA has officially announced a two-match suspension for Real Madrid star Rodrygo Goes in the UEFA Champions League, ruling him out of both legs against Benfica.
The decision follows his red card in the match that ended with a 3-2 defeat for Real Madrid against Benfica in the final round of the league phase, after the disciplinary committee deemed his comments toward referee Davide Massa as “abusive language.”
The incident occurred in the 96th minute of the match, shortly after Marco Asensio was sent off, leaving Real Madrid to finish the game with only nine players. Rodrygo, who had already received a yellow card, was shown a straight red after protesting to the referee.
As a result, Rodrygo will only be available for La Liga fixtures in February against Valencia, Real Sociedad, and Osasuna, but will miss both playoff matches against Benfica for a place in the Champions League round of 16.
UEFA also imposed a €40,000 fine on both Real Madrid and Benfica, along with a warning issued to coaches José Mourinho and Álvaro Arbeloa for delaying the start of the second half.
