With less than a week to go before the Champions League quarter-final first leg between Arsenal and Real Madrid, UEFA has yet to announce the sanction that will be imposed on the four Madrid players.
After eliminating Atlético de Madrid in the previous round, the Real Madrid players celebrated their victory in front of the stands at the Metropolitano Stadium, a feat that UEFA deemed too heated, and the latter decided to open an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior by Ceballos, Rüdiger, Bellingham, and Mbappé.
Less than a week remains before the Champions League tie between Arsenal and Real Madrid, and the UEFA Disciplinary Committee has still not rendered its verdict on the investigation into these four players. The body must decide whether any of their actions that evening are punishable.
While awaiting UEFA’s decision, we can anticipate what might happen by observing similar precedents in similar cases. The most similar incident involves a Real Madrid player, Jude Bellingham, who, while playing for England at the Euro, touched his private parts in front of Slovakian fans after qualifying that day.
The Bellingham Precedent
What we can draw are conclusions about what might happen in light of the closest precedents in such cases. The most similar concerns another Madrid player, Jude Bellingham, who experienced another similar incident during the European Championship when, playing for England, he touched his genitals in front of the Slovak fans after qualifying that day.
After a similar investigation, UEFA ultimately imposed a suspended one-match suspension (applicable in the event of a repeat offense in the same competition) and a €30,000 fine on the player, which allowed him to play against Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
A primarily financial penalty, then, is what Real Madrid expects for Rüdiger, Ceballos, Mbappé, and Vinicius Junior. All four players will be allowed to travel to London to face Arsenal next Tuesday.
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