Madrid Manager Ancelotti Discusses Bellingham's Dismissal in Osasuna Draw, Stating: 'It Seems VAR Was Disabled'
In a recent La Liga clash against Osasuna, Real Madrid's midfield maestro Jude Bellingham found himself in hot water. The young star was shown a straight red card in the 39th minute, leaving his team to navigate the remainder of the match with one less player. The controversy stemmed from Bellingham's words towards the referee during a heated discussion, a decision that left head coach Carlo Ancelotti bewildered.
Madrid had been cruising, taking a 1-0 lead through Kylian Mbappe just a quarter of an hour into the game. However, Bellingham's dismissal shifted the momentum. The referee, Jose Luis Munuera Montero, interpreted Bellingham's words as disrespectful, leading to the straight red card. The VAR did not intervene, and the game continued with ten men seated in the Madrid dugout.
Ancelotti was far from pleased with the decision, sharing his thoughts in the post-match press conference. He claimed that the situation was a communication error, pressuring that Bellingham had said "fuck off," a phrase that was not meant to be offensive. Ancelotti was visibly frustrated, citing a pattern of contentious calls in the team's recent matches, including a penalty awarded to Atletico Madrid and one to Osasuna.
While Ancelotti defended Bellingham, he also mentioned that he would be in favor of a discussion with the referee rather than Bellingham himself. Ancelotti picked up a yellow card during the game for questioning a handball decision that was only reviewed by the VAR later.
The incident leaves Bellingham facing a potential suspension of four to 12 matches under the Disciplinary Code of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for insulting the referee. The length of the suspension will have a significant impact on Madrid's title race and their upcoming Champions League playoff second leg against Manchester City in the Bernabeu, with Real currently boasting a 3-2 advantage over the English giants.
After the sending-off, Real Madrid's game strategy against Osasuna significantly changed. Carlo Ancelotti, the team's coach, expressed his discontent with the referee's decision in a post-match press conference. He argued that Bellingham's words were misunderstood and claimed that the phrase "fuck off" was not intended to be offensive. Ancelotti also highlighted a pattern of controversial calls in Madrid's recent matches, mentioning debatable penalties awarded to Atletico Madrid and Osasuna. Despite defending Bellingham, Ancelotti suggested a conversation between the team and the referee instead of Bellingham directly. The incident could potentially result in a suspension for Bellingham, impacting Madrid's title race in La Liga and their Champions League playoff against Manchester City. Jude Bellingham and Carlo Ancelotti will have to wait for the RFEF's decision to determine the length of Bellingham's suspension, which could range from four to 12 matches.
