Bellingham Receives Red Card for Using Expletive in Dispute with Referee During Real Madrid Match

PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) — Jude Bellingham received a red card during Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw against Osasuna after he allegedly used inappropriate language while disputing a refereeing decision on Saturday.

In the 40th minute of the La Liga match, referee José Luis Munuera issued the card to the England midfielder following his complaints regarding the officiating, which were accompanied by animated gestures. The two exchanged words leading up to the decision to send Bellingham off the field.

Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, came to the defense of his player, suggesting that Munuera misinterpreted Bellingham’s comment due to a translation issue involving Bellingham’s English expletive.

“Bellingham didn’t say anything that warranted being sent off,” Ancelotti remarked. “He said ‘(expletive) off,’ not ‘(expletive) you.’ It wasn’t intended as an insult.”

In his official match report, Munuera stated that Bellingham had told him, “’(expletive) you.’”

After Ancelotti, Bellingham addressed the situation, stating he didn’t want to delve into the specifics but emphasized that his language was not directed at the referee.

“It’s clear there was a mistake and a misunderstanding,” Bellingham noted. “I need the team to understand I wasn’t careless enough to put them in a position of playing with 10 men. However, being part of this incident does make it look that way.”

At just 21 years old, Bellingham has emerged as a key leader for the Madrid team, asserting that he is accustomed to using such language on the pitch and did not intend it as an offense.

“On the field, emotions can sometimes overwhelm players, but that wasn’t the case today. I was quite calm in my tone,” Bellingham stated. “You can see in the video and by reading my lips. I’ve used expressions like this since I was 16 or 17, whether rightly or wrongly.”

This incident marks not the first time Bellingham’s words have led to disciplinary issues in Spain. Last season, he was suspended for two matches after using an expletive to contest a referee’s call in a drawn game against Valencia.

The red card means Bellingham will be sidelined for the upcoming match against Girona.

Ancelotti Also Caught in Controversy

Earlier in the game, Ancelotti received a yellow card for protesting what he believed to be a handball by an Osasuna defender that went unpunished.

Madrid had been leading 1-0 thanks to a goal from Kylian Mbappé when Bellingham’s incident occurred. Ante Budimir equalized for Osasuna with a penalty in the second half.

Just two rounds before this match, Real Madrid had expressed strong dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions they claimed had favored Espanyol in a prior defeat.