Jude Bellingham sent off for swearing at referee: What happened and was it a ‘miscommunication’?

Jude Bellingham was sent off on Saturday for swearing at a referee — but the Real Madrid midfielder insists the incident that saw him shown a red card was a “miscommunication”. The referee’s report, published shortly after full time, has instead stated Bellingham said “f*** you”. The referee’s report states: “In minute 40, the player Bellingham, Jude Victor William was sent off for the following reason: To speak to me, just a few metres away, in the following terms: “F*** you”. Whether Bellingham said “f*** off” or “f*** you” is the main point of discretion between Madrid’s recollection of the incident and Munuera Montero’s. The official referee’s match report, published online an hour after the game, said: “In minute 999, the player Bellingham, Jude Victor William, was sent off for the following motive: After the end of the game and while still on the pitch, he came running over to me in an aggressive way shouting, repeatedly: ‘It’s a f*****g goal’.” GO DEEPER Explained: Bellingham’s 99th-minute red card and the goal that never was The club argued that Bellingham’s words were not “offensive or insulting” but the Spanish federation found insufficient evidence to overturn the referee’s original decision to dismiss him.