Rüdiger is thus once again at the centre of attention for reasons unrelated to the game itself. Only recently, Diego Rico of Getafe accused him, following a controversial foul, of deliberately trying to hurt him. In his view, Rüdiger had tried to “smash his face in”. Rüdiger, however, firmly rejected the allegations on Monday: “If I’d fouled him on purpose, I would have injured him. I spoke to him after the match. You can’t just look at a single frame. I like to play hard. But I have limits that I don’t cross. That’s why I think the comments were a bit over the top.”
In April 2025, Rüdiger had also made negative headlines when, during the Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona, he threw a roll of tape at the referee and insulted the official. He was handed a six-match ban by the Spanish Football Federation. A debate ensued, prompting Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann to issue a statement. "The limit has been reached. He shouldn’t allow himself to go any further, otherwise there will be more serious consequences," he said at the time.