Bellingham was left bewildered in the 38th minute of Saturday’s game when Montero issued a straight red card for apparent dissent. ..Continue Reading
At that moment, Real Madrid held a one-goal lead courtesy of Kylian Mbappe, but after being reduced to 10 men, Los Blancos managed to secure a point at Estadio El Sadar thanks to a penalty from Ante Budimir.
Speaking after the match, Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti provided some insight into the incident, suggesting there was a misunderstanding between Bellingham and the referee.
“I think the referee did not understand Jude Bellingham’s English,” Ancelotti said, as per Fabrizio Romano. “He said f*ck off, not f*ck you… that’s way different. I won’t talk more about the referee as I want to be on the bench next week.”
Bellingham, who risked punishment this month, when he swore at an official, also commented on the controversial incident as he played down “insulting” the 41-year-old referee.
He said: “I never insulted the referee, I’m glad to see there are the videos to show the reality despite the referee’s report. I’m here to apologise to my teammates as I put them in a difficult situation today.”
The England midfielder was sent off for a simple protest to the referee, according to forensic lip reader Nicola Hickling.
Speaking to Jeff Bet, Hickling claimed Bellingham said the following after running up to the official: “Throw in, it’s a throw in.”
Moments later, Jose Luis Munuera Montero proceeded to show a red card, saying: “You’re out. Get off” – with the Real Madrid midfielder’s only reply being “What” with a shocked expression.
The latest incident comes after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called for the Spanish FA to bring in referees from Premier League to improve the standard of officiating in La Liga.
