A disputed decision made by the Referees’ Committee in the wake of Jude Bellingham’s red card, during a match against Osasuna, has confirmed that there was no clear footage supporting the claim that Bellingham told José Luis Munuera Montero, the referee of the game, to f*** off instead of f*** you. In its appeal, Real Madrid presented expert opinions and video footage but the evidence was not enough to convince the committee.
This is bothering the Referee Committee because it regarded the evidence as unpersuasive to the extent that it might prove Bellingham’s language was less offensive than the reported “f*** you.” Thus, the original report from the referee, concluding the first incident was serious enough to justify a red card, remained valid. The committee thus ruled against this appeal, so the decision stands.
This has opened up a pretty contentious debate about the treatment of referees and players in modern football. Double think of the suspension, though- historical in Bellingham’s season.