A forensic lip reader has ‘revealed’ what Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham said to referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero before being sent off in their La Liga clash against Osasuna
Jude Bellingham was left baffled in the 38th minute of Saturdayās match when referee Montero showed him a straight red card for apparent dissent.
At the time, Real Madrid held a 1-0 lead courtesy of Kylian Mbappe, but after being reduced to 10 men, they had to settle for a draw as Ante Budimir converted a penalty for Osasuna.
After the match, Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti suggested a language misunderstanding may have played a role in the decision. āI think the referee did not understand Jude Bellinghamās English,ā Ancelotti said, according to Fabrizio Romano. āHe said āfck off,ā not āfck youā⦠thatās way different. I wonāt say more about the referee because I want to be on the bench next week.ā
Bellingham also addressed the incident, denying he had insulted the referee. āI never insulted the referee,” he said. “Iām glad the videos can show the reality despite the refereeās report. I apologize to my teammates for putting them in a difficult situation today.ā
Forensic lip reader Nicola Hickling, speaking to Jeff Bet, claimed that Bellingham simply protested by saying: āThrow in, itās a throw in.ā However, moments later, Montero responded by saying: āYouāre out. Get off,ā leaving Bellingham in shock as he replied, āWhat?ā
This incident follows Real Madrid president Florentino PĆ©rezās recent call for the Spanish FA to bring in Premier League referees to raise the standard of officiating in La Liga.