Real Madrid midfielder sends a message to fans after controversial red card vs Osasuna | OneFootball

Soon after Real Madrid’s draw with Osasuna, Jude Bellingham explained the situation with the referee and pointed out that there was a misunderstanding.

The English midfielder was sent off late in the match after an exchange with referee Munuera Montero, who claimed in his match report that Bellingham said “f*** you.”

However, Bellingham insists he only said “f*** off,” a phrase that carries a different connotation in English. This distinction was shared by Carlo Ancelotti as well, during the post-match presser.

Bellingham sends another message

A day later, Bellingham doubled down on his stance with a message on Instagram.

“Enough said about the misunderstanding, just wanted to apologise again for leaving my teammates in such a tough position and thank the fans for their support and understanding. See you on Wednesday at home,” he posted on Instagram.

Real Madrid are set to appeal the red card, hoping to have the decision overturned. The club are banking on a video evidence that appears to show Bellingham saying “f*** off” rather than the phrase reported by the referee.

Source: Instagram

The club argue that the red card that was shown by the referee in the first half was excessive, particularly given the significance of the match.

Even if Real Madrid fail with their attempt, it is clear that the animosity between the club and the referees’ association in Spain is set to increase in the coming days.

The onus, therefore, will be on the authorities to come up with the right measures to prevent this kind of controversy, which has commonplace in every other league game now.