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 Saturday’s 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. “I think the referee did not understand Jude Bellingham’s English,” Ancelotti said, according to Fabrizio Romano. “He said ‘fck off,’ not ‘fck you’… that’s way different. I won’t say more about the referee because I want to be on the bench next week.”
Bellingham also addressed the incident, denying he had insulted the referee. “I never insulted the referee,” he said. “I’m glad the videos can show the reality despite the referee’s report. I apologize to my teammates for putting them in a difficult situation today.”
Forensic lip reader Nicola Hickling, speaking to Jeff Bet, claimed that Bellingham simply protested by saying: “Throw in, it’s a throw in.” However, moments later, Montero responded by saying: “You’re out. Get off,” leaving Bellingham in shock as he replied, “What?”
This incident follows Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s recent call for the Spanish FA to bring in Premier League referees to raise the standard of officiating in La Liga.
