Real Madrid footballer Jude Bellingham now knows what his punishment will be following the expulsion he suffered last Saturday against Osasuna for saying “Fuck off” to referee Munuera Montero, although the referee recorded in the minutes that he addressed him as “Fuck you”.
The British footballer will miss the next two LaLiga matches, the one against Girona at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday and the one at Betis next weekend. The allegations of the white club for a poorly written report have been of no use. Therefore, Carlo Ancelotti loses one of his key players in the next LaLiga matches.
Two-match ban for Bellingham for his sending-off
The Competition Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has ruled that Jude Bellingham, following his sending off at the El Sadar stadium, must serve a two-match ban as a result of what the Committee understands to be an attitude “of contempt or disregard towards the referees” caused by the words the English midfielder addressed to José Luis Munuera Montero.
Although Real Madrid claimed that the referee’s report was not correctly worded and that the video showed that Bellingham did not literally say the words that were included, the Committee rejected these arguments and confirmed the sanction.
Bellingham will not be facing Girona and Betis
The sanction means that the British footballer will miss two important matches in the fight to be LaLiga champion. The first will be this Sunday, at the Santiago Bernabéu against Girona, a direct contender for first place. The second will be the following weekend, against Betis at the Benito Villamarín, which is another tough match.
The absence of Bellingham is a hard blow for Carlo Ancelotti; the player has reaffirmed himself as one of the men who is most deciding the games of the white team this season, consolidating his potential to reach the opposing area, to change the sign of a game with his goals and assists.
Real Madrid will appeal Bellingham’s sanction
Real Madrid, despite the decision of the Competition Committee, has announced that it will file an appeal with the Appeals Committee, with the aim of having the sanction reduced in scope or, even, having it rendered ineffective. The club understands that the recorded evidence shows that there was no insult on Bellingham’s part but simply a common English expression that he misinterpreted.
The purpose of the new appeal is to ensure that the British midfielder is available at least for the match against Betis, although in the fight against administrative delays, it could be that the appeal does not come to fruition before the match against Girona.
Bellingham apologizes after his controversial expulsion
Simultaneously, Bellingham himself wanted to put an end to the controversy. And it was once the match in Pamplona was over that the player appeared in the mixed zone to state that his intention had never been to insult the referee. He pointed out that he had used a variant of colloquial English, referring to himself, after an action that he found frustrating.
Last Sunday, Bellingham finished reinforcing his statement with a post on social media: “Enough has been said about the misunderstanding, I just wanted to apologize again for putting my teammates in such a difficult situation and thank the fans for their support and understanding. See you at home on Wednesday,” said the Englishman, already focusing on the next continental fixture with Manchester City.
The Bellingham case has not reached its conclusion, as in the next few days it will be known whether Real Madrid’s appeal to the Appeals Committee will be successful and whether or not the sanction imposed on the British footballer will be modified.