UEFA has issued sizeable fines for Real Madrid players Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger. This penalty follows their infamous mockery of their victory on penalty shootout against Atletico Madrid. Like that ugly social media event, the incident described below happened during the March 12th UEFA Champions League round of 16 match. UEFA released on Friday their ruling in the case, which included sanctions against a second affected player, Dani Ceballos.
Following the colorful party atmosphere, UEFA responded with swift repressive measures. As punishment, they slapped Rudiger with a fine of 40,000 euros (approximately $44,000). Mbappe received a marginally lesser punishment of 30,000 euros (about $33,000) for his influence on the same appearance. In addition to the financial penalties, both players received a suspended one-game ban for “violating the basic rules of decent conduct.” This suspension is made with a one-year probatory extension. Subsequent violations would trigger the instantaneous imposition of the ban.
UEFA announced no charges were brought against Vinicius Junior. He had been under indictment for his role in the jubilation, but as of today he is no longer facing any charges. Fan-filmed video out on social media widely showed Mbappe giving the middle finger. Factors such as these contributed to the disciplinary action taken against him and Rudiger.
The decision by UEFA further cements the governing body’s commitment to decorum, sportsmanship, and all-around good behavior on the pitch. These steep financial penalties serve to underscore the gravity of their wrongdoing. This happened around what would have been their moment celebrating their achievement, running far in the tournament.
