Jude Bellingham’s arrival in the Spanish capital has been nothing short of spectacular. He quickly became a favorite among Real Madrid fans with his outstanding performances in his debut season at the Santiago Bernabéu. His scoring prowess has earned him a place in an exclusive club of Real Madrid legends.
The challenges are beginning to pile up for the midfielder, as the Spanish FA is now investigating his alleged remarks towards Mason Greenwood. To add to early injury troubles, Bellingham is now facing a new hurdle following his first red card for Real Madrid during a match against Valencia on Saturday.
Jude Bellingham sent off after heated altercation with referee
The La Liga leaders, Los Blancos, received a major boost ahead of their trip to Valencia with the return of their star player, Jude Bellingham to action following a three-match absence due to an ankle injury. Bellingham last played against Girona, scoring a brace in Real Madrid’s 4-0 home victory.
The Mestalla Stadium, home of Valencia witnessed an exhilarating 2-2 draw, with the hosts scoring twice in the first half thanks to goals from Hugo Duro and Roman Yaremchuk. In the second half, the visitors fought back, with Vinicius Junior scoring a brace in the 50th and 76th minutes to level the score at 2-2.
During the dying moments, Real believed they had secured a win with a header from Jude Bellingham that put the ball into the back of the net. However, match referee Jesús Gil Manzano made a bizarre call by blowing the full-time whistle just as the cross was delivered into the box.
As Real Madrid was denied a late victory, their players immediately rushed towards the referee, surrounding him in a surge of protests. The former Borussia Dortmund player was shown a straight red card and sent off for dissent, a reaction stemming from his complaints and loss of composure over the questionable decision.
Carlo Ancelotti talks on Jude Bellingham red card
Jude Bellingham will be sidelined due to a red-card suspension for the club’s next league game against Celta Vigo. Post-match, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti defended the English international and voiced his analysis of the contentious decision by the referee.
Ancelotti stated, “What to say, there is not much to say. Something unprecedented has happened. I think the game had to end when Valencia had possession. Then Bellingham’s red card bothered us because he didn’t insult the referee.”
“He just told the referee: it’s f*cking goal. He didn’t insult Gil Manzano, we will see what the referee writes in the act. The players are angry. We all have to calm down. We have an important game on Wednesday,” he added.
The Royal Whites will be in midweek action as they host Bundesliga club RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, second-leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Bellingham available for selection in the squad.
