Jude Bellingham has denied any wrongdoing after receiving a controversial red card during Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw against Osasuna at El Sadar on Saturday. The 21-year-old midfielder insists he did not insult referee Jose Munuera Montero, calling the decision a misunderstanding.
Bellingham was sent off in the 39th minute following an exchange with the official, who interpreted his words as dissent. However, the England international clarified that his frustration was not directed at the referee but was simply a personal reaction.
“I think you can see clearly in the video, I remember the incident very well, it was an expression (I was saying) to myself,” Bellingham explained. “I’m not even directing myself towards the referee, but obviously there was a misunderstanding. He’s believed that I’ve said (something insulting) to him… There was no intent to insult him, there was no insult, and for that reason I think you can see there was a misunderstanding.”
The incident adds to Real Madrid’s growing frustration with refereeing decisions in La Liga. The club has recently voiced concerns about officiating, even sending a formal complaint to the Spanish football federation over what they claim is biased decision-making.
Bellingham hopes video footage will help prove his innocence and prevent a lengthy suspension. “It’s difficult when a referee isn’t sure, to determine that I’ve said something that I haven’t, and as a result, it kind of hinders the team,” he said.
He also emphasized that he would never intentionally put his team at a disadvantage. “I only want to make sure that the team know that I wasn’t irresponsible enough to put them in a situation where I intentionally wanted them to be left with 10,” he added. “I hope that the footage will be reviewed and see that it’s not the same as the report, and that going forward the federation can keep that into consideration because it’s huge evidence.”
Despite the setback, Bellingham remains calm, confident that the incident was misinterpreted. “The report, obviously the reason why he sent me off doesn’t match what I’ve said,” he noted. “So I’m pretty calm in this situation, knowing that I wasn’t in the wrong for saying to myself an expression that I’ve been saying since I was, you know, 16, 17 years old, rightly or wrongly.”
This marks Bellingham’s second red card for Real Madrid since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, with his first dismissal coming last March for arguing with referee Jesus Gil Manzano after a draw against Valencia.
Real Madrid’s draw extended their winless run in La Liga to three matches, though it did momentarily push them two points clear of Atletico Madrid before their rivals’ game against Celta Vigo later in the day.
