Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham handed two-match ban for his outburst against Osasuna | OneFootball

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has been handed a two-match suspension following his direct red card in the 1-1 draw against Osasuna, Marca reports.

The Competition Committee confirmed the decision earlier today, citing ‘contempt or disregard’ towards referee Munuera Montero as the reason for the punishment.

The ruling means Bellingham will miss Madrid’s upcoming La Liga games at home to Girona and away to Real Betis, but his punishment could have been far worse.

If the Competition Committee had considered his words towards the referee as an insult or an offence, the sanction would have been between four and 12 matches.

The referee’s match report states that Bellingham was sent off in the 40th minute for using abusive language, but the England international has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that there was a misunderstanding.

“It’s clear that a mistake was made – there was a communication error,” Bellingham explained after the game.

“I don’t want to repeat what I said, but if you look at the video, you can see that it’s not the same as what the report says.

“I hope the Federation takes that into account. I didn’t insult anyone – it’s clearly seen in the video.

“I didn’t even say it directly to the referee – I said it to myself. It was a lack of understanding, a clear error by the referee.”

This is not the first time Bellingham has been punished for a similar incident. He was also suspended for two matches after receiving a red card at the Mestalla Stadium last season.

On that occasion, referee Gil Manzano claimed that Bellingham aggressively approached him after a controversial disallowed goal and repeatedly used abusive language.

In an effort to overturn the latest decision, Madrid argued that the referee’s report contained a material error.

The club insisted that Bellingham’s words were taken out of context, but their appeal fell on deaf ears.

The Competition Committee concluded that the video footage was inconclusive and did not provide definitive proof that Bellingham’s words were misquoted.

Madrid will take the case to the Appeals Court in a final attempt to overturn the ban.

Bellingham will be keen to put the matter to one side for Madrid’s Champions League play-off second-leg clash against Manchester City tonight.