Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Ceballos and Vinicius Junior are being investigated by UEFA for alleged indecent conduct during the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid.
The players are alleged to have made gestures towards Atletico supporters following Madrid’s penalty shootout victory over their city rivals at the Metropolitano stadium.
A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate the allegations into the four players.
The allegations relate to the aftermath of the shootout, with mass celebrations following Rudiger’s winning penalty. The team danced in front of the Atletico supporters with the Madrid fans situated high above them in the stand, and subsequently had objects thrown at the them.
Photos appeared to show Rudiger allegedly making a throat-slitting gesture in the direction of the home crowd while on the pitch, before footage appeared to show Ceballos making an alleged obscene gesture as he headed down the tunnel. Mbappe is alleged to have made a lewd gesture as he departed the pitch, while footage also appears to show Vinicius Junior making a gesture in the direction of Atletico supporters as he walks off.
The laws of the game state that “using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)” or “acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way” are red card offences.
A UEFA statement read: “A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players (Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Daniel Ceballos Fernandez and Vinicius Junior) during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Club Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid CF on 12 March 2025.”
The second leg between Madrid and Atletico went to penalties after finishing 2-2 on aggregate, with Madrid winning the shootout 4-3.
Madrid declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic.
(Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images)
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