Jude Bellingham’s unexpected confession after his red card against Osasuna: “There was a…”

Jude Bellingham categorically denies insulting referee José Luis Munuera. Sent off this Saturday during the 24th round clash between Osasuna and Real Madrid, the English midfielder spoke his truth after the final whistle.

At the heart of a major controversy in Spain this Saturday, Jude Bellingham took the floor to clarify the situation. Sent off in the 39th minute for an alleged inappropriate remark towards referee José Luis Munuera, the English midfielder rejects the accusation of insult. While some Spaniards rejoice over the referee’s decision and others cry scandal, the 21-year-old player is turning to the Spanish Football Federation to rectify what he calls the referee’s “error,” claiming he overreacted unnecessarily.

“It is clear that the referee made a mistake and that there was a lack of communication,” Bellingham first stated to the media as he left the stadium. “It was just an expression like ‘bloody hell’. I simply want the team to know that I was not irresponsible enough to put them in a situation where I intended to leave them with ten men. I hope the Federation takes into account that the match report does not reflect what the images show because that is important evidence. We cannot change the result, but I hope that from now on, there will be a change.”

“I didn’t insult anyone”

Pressed about the Movistar footage showing him uttering the words “fuck off,” interpreted as “go f*** yourself,” Jude Bellingham insists that his remark was directed at himself and not at referee José Luis Munuera. “It was a misunderstanding… If you watch the video, you can see it. I didn’t insult anyone, I didn’t even say it directly to the referee, I just said it to myself,” added the former Borussia Dortmund player, who now faces a possible two-match suspension.

The outcome of the match has seriously frustrated the Madrid players, who dropped two points and now risk losing their top spot in La Liga after this 24th round. With penalties not awarded for Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé early in the game, José Luis Munuera completely ruined Real Madrid’s evening. The coming days promise to be even more tense between Spanish referees and Madrid’s leadership.