Why was Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham sent off against Osasuna?

The England international was shown a direct red card

In an important contest in the 24th matchday of LaLiga, Osasuna and Real Madrid battled to a 1-1 tie on Saturday. With FC Barcelona perhaps catching up to Carlo Ancelotti’s team if they defeat Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio Olímpico de Montjuic tonight, this draw heightens the competition for the championship.

However, Jude Bellingham’s red card from referee José Luis Munuera Montero was the most talked-about part of this game, not the outcome or either team’s play.

After a verbal altercation, the Real Madrid midfielder was sent off by the match referee in the 39th minute. The referee’s match report, which was made public after hours of conjecture, made clear what led to the English player’s sent-off.

“In the 40th minute, player Jude Bellingham was sent off for the following reason: for addressing me, while merely a few meters away, with the words: ‘Fuck you,'” stated Munuera Montero’s report. On the other hand, Movistar footage showed that the English football player truly said “fuck off.”

After the match Bellingham said,

“There was no insult and it’s clear on the video.”

Since then, Bellingham’s actions have been the subject of intense debate, and this is not the first time he has disrespected officials.

The Real Madrid player had called the same referee a “What a piece of shit” just months before, in September 2024, after being sent off for fouling an RCD Espanyol player. The referee at the time was unaware of that episode, which led to a stricter approach in this most recent instance.

Referee’s organization statement regarding Jude Bellingham’s red card

This constant onslaught has caused the referee’s organization to examine these practices even more carefully in order to stop them from happening again.

“Referees have reached a point where, if they’re going to be called names and allowed to endure all sorts of insults, they might have to take a firmer stance. The reality is that Real Madrid is being officiated in the same manner as the rest of the LaLiga teams, which does not sit well with spoiled children when they are treated like their peers.”

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