Bellingham ‘disrespectful’ for red card outburst, says Barcelona coach Flick

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has accused Jude Bellingham of being “disrespectful” after the Real Madrid star was sent off in the 1-1 La Liga draw against Osasuna on Saturday.

Bellingham, the England international, was shown a red card for dissent following a heated exchange with referee Jose Munuera Montero just 39 minutes into the match.

The young midfielder insisted that the incident was a “misunderstanding” and denied insulting the referee.

“It was disrespectful, it’s not for me to decide what exactly Bellingham meant, but I tell my players not to waste time or energy talking to the referees,” Flick said in response on Sunday. “Only the captain is supposed to talk to the referee, and picking up a red card like that is bad for his team.”

Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti disagreed with the decision, stating that Bellingham should not have been dismissed.

“I think with Bellingham’s red card, the referee didn’t understand the English well… I don’t think it’s something offensive,” Ancelotti explained to reporters.

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The red card was Bellingham’s second since joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, with his first coming in March 2024 after a confrontation with referee Jesus Gil Manzano during a 2-2 draw at Valencia.

As the La Liga title race continues, Barcelona has the opportunity to draw level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table when they host Rayo Vallecano on Monday.