The 1-1 draw between Actual Madrid and Osasuna in Matchday 24 of the 2024-25 La Liga season grew to become controversial after referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero issued a pink card to star Jude Bellingham. Within the aftermath, the English midfielder broke his silence, asserting, “I by no means insulted the referee.”
Regardless of taking the lead within the sport, the main target shifted to the fortieth minute when Bellingham confronted Munuera Montero over a foul he had dedicated a minute earlier. The referee then overheard Bellingham swearing, resulting in the pink card resolution.
Munuera Montero later defined his resolution within the official report, stating: “Within the fortieth minute, Bellingham was despatched off for the next motive: For addressing me, at a brief distance, with the next phrases: ‘F— you.’”
Following the sport, Bellingham provided his aspect of the story. “I by no means insulted the referee, I’m glad to see there are the movies to point out the truth regardless of the referee’s report. I’m right here to apologize with my teammates as I put them in tough scenario at this time,” he mentioned within the combined zone.
Bellingham clarified that he had really mentioned “f— off” quite than the phrases attributed to him: “I didn’t say something unhealthy to the referee. It’s clear that there was a communication error. It’s an expression like Spanish one ‘joder’… and the consequence is that he left us with one much less participant. It’s not an insult, it was an expression for myself.”
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No official phrase has been given on whether or not Actual Madrid will enchantment the pink card. In the event that they don’t, Bellingham will miss the upcoming La Liga match towards Girona on Sunday.
Ancelotti weighs in on Bellingham’s pink card
Actual Madrid gamers tried to talk with Munuera Montero to defend Bellingham, claiming he had been misheard, however the referee’s resolution stood agency. The drama continued as coach Carlo Ancelotti addressed the problem throughout his post-match press convention.
“I feel the pink card to Bellingham… I feel the referee didn’t perceive English effectively. He mentioned ‘f— off,’ not ‘f— you.’ He made a mistake. The interpretation of ‘f— off’ in Spanish is ‘no me jodas,’ it’s not one thing offensive,” he mentioned whereas analyzing the sport and the way getting one man down affected the ultimate outcome.
This incident mirrors Bellingham’s first pink card in his profession, which got here final season in a 2-2 draw towards Valencia in March 2024. When requested if he had spoken to Bellingham about his habits, Ancelotti reiterated his protection of the participant:
“I might be in favor of chatting with the referee, to not Bellingham. He mentioned ‘if this can be a foul, that was a penalty, don’t mess with me.’ The pink card got here from the referee’s nervousness. What ought to I speak to Bellingham about? He didn’t do something to be despatched off, completely nothing, he made a mistake within the translation and that’s it,” he ended,