UEFA Fines Mbappé, Rüdiger, and Ceballos for Controversial Celebrations in Champions League

UEFA, European football's governing body, has fined and issued a one-match suspended ban to Real Madrid stars Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger, and Dani Ceballos for breaching code of conduct during their Champions League Round of 16 victory against city rivals Atlético Madrid.

The recent Champions League last-16 tie between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid was decided by a penalty shootout after the aggregate score ended 2-2. In the shootout, Atlético's Julián Álvarez and Marcos Llorente failed to convert their kicks. For Real, Lucas Vázquez missed his fourth shot, but Antonio Rüdiger's decisive final penalty secured Real's victory.

Following their triumph over their city rivals, Real Madrid's players engaged in exuberant celebrations. Rüdiger's particularly controversial celebration, directed towards Atlético fans, drew criticism, with Dani Ceballos, Kylian Mbappé, and Vinícius Júnior joining in. The referee took a dim view of the celebration, putting these four stars at risk of suspension.

Cadena SER has now reported that UEFA has imposed financial penalties and a one-match suspended ban on Real's three stars—Rüdiger, Ceballos, and Mbappé—for their contentious celebrations.

• Kylian Mbappé has been fined 30,000 Euros (approx. 43 lakh BDT).

• Antonio Rüdiger has been fined 40,000 Euros (approx. 57.37 lakh BDT).

• Dani Ceballos has been fined 20,000 Euros (approx. 28.69 lakh BDT).

These fines are a consequence of the trio's celebrations and gestures following Real's dramatic penalty shootout victory.

After Rüdiger's winning penalty secured Real's quarter-final spot, the players rushed towards their own supporters. At this point, Atlético fans reportedly threw various objects at them. Los Rojiblancos (Atlético) accused Real's players of inciting the crowd, while Real countered that Atlético supporters were aggressive towards their players and threw projectiles from the stands.

However, Vinícius Júnior avoided punishment despite gesturing to indicate Real's 15 trophies compared to Atlético's zero. UEFA deemed his reaction not aggressive enough to warrant a sanction.

The one-match suspended ban issued to Rüdiger, Mbappé, and Ceballos means that should they commit a similar offense again, the ban will automatically come into effect. In a separate incident, Real Madrid was also fined 15,000 Euros (approx. 21.51 lakh BDT) and warned after a fan was seen making a Nazi salute. The club has been cautioned that repeat offenses of this nature could lead to a ban on ticket sales for UEFA competitions.

Real Madrid is currently preparing for their Club World Cup semi-final match in the United States. Xabi Alonso's side is set to face PSG tomorrow, Wednesday (July 9), at MetLife Stadium.