Real Madrid's recent 1-1 draw with Osasuna on February 15, 2025, was marked by significant controversy, notably the first-half red card issued to Jude Bellingham. The English midfielder was sent off in the 39th minute after a verbal exchange with referee José Munuera Montero. According to the referee's report, Bellingham directed the phrase "Fuck you" towards him, which led to the immediate dismissal.
Bellingham, however, contended that his words were misinterpreted due to language differences. He explained that he used the expression "Fuck off" in frustration, which he argued is not equivalent to an insult in Spanish. Real Madrid's manager, Carlo Ancelotti, supported Bellingham's stance, suggesting that the referee may have misunderstood the player's English, leading to an unwarranted red card.
The match's officiating drew further criticism from Ancelotti, who was visibly frustrated with several decisions. He questioned the consistency of VAR interventions, particularly concerning three potential penalty situations that were not reviewed, juxtaposed with a second-half penalty awarded to Osasuna after VAR consultation. Ancelotti's dissent resulted in a booking during the match.
Despite playing with ten men for a significant portion of the match, Real Madrid managed to secure a point. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 15th minute, but Osasuna equalized in the 58th minute through an Ante Budimir penalty, following a foul by Eduardo Camavinga. The draw extended Real Madrid's winless streak in LaLiga to three matches, though they maintained their position at the top of the standings with 51 points, closely followed by Atlético Madrid and Barcelona.
This incident has intensified ongoing discussions about refereeing standards in LaLiga, especially concerning Real Madrid. The club has previously expressed concerns over officiating biases, and this match's events have only added to the scrutiny of referee decisions in Spanish football
