Bellingham claims his red card was unjust following Madrid draw

Following a dramatic draw, Real Madrid’s Jude Bell claims his red card was a harsh call. Unpack the controversy surrounding the heated match here.

February 17, 2025

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham claimed he was unfairly sent off. The team’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, was also angry about the several calls made by the refs after Real Madrid tied 1-1 with Osasuna on February 15, 2025.

This result prevented Real Madrid from winning in La Liga for three matches. ‘I do not want to go into the details of what was said, but I didn’t insult the referee and I hope they review the footage because it was a misunderstanding, but I am here to apologise to the team anyways’, Bellingham said.

Ancelotti slammed the video assistant ref for not acting on three likely penalties he felt were fouls on Vinícius Júnior, Bellingham, and a handball by Alejandro Catena. The Italian coach grew more upset at the start of the second half when the ref gave Osasuna a penalty.

The video assistant referee (VAR) asked him to check Eduardo Camavinga’s step on Ante Budimir’s foot. The Croatian forward scored from the spot, levelling the game after Kylian Mbappé’s goal in the first half.

‘I believe there were things that have happened in these last three games that everyone has seen and I don’t want to add more, because I’m looking forward to being on the bench in the next game’, Ancelotti said.

Ancelotti mentioned that the ref booked him after he pointed out a handball in Osasuna’s box, suggesting the ref should check it on VAR. He noted that the VAR seemed to be activated later.

He also voiced concerns about the red card given to Bellingham, stating that the English player did not insult the ref during the disputes. Ancelotti’s anger adds to Real Madrid's ongoing issues with refs, as the club had already raised concerns about the league’s officials earlier in February 2025.

Real Madrid stays on top of La Liga standings

Real Madrid got a point to stay at the top of La Liga in a close title race. Without a win in their last three games, they hold 51 points, one ahead of Atlético Madrid and three of Barcelona.

Atlético Madrid missed a big chance to take the lead as they drew 1-1 with Celta Vigo at home. They played most of the match with ten men after Pablo Barrios received a red card for a harsh tackle on Pablo Durán in the fourth minute.

Iago Aspas scored a penalty in the 68th minute after Robin Le Normand fouled Borja Iglesias in the box. However, Alexander Sørloth came off the bench to score a late equaliser for Atlético in the 81st minute, saving a crucial point for his team.