The English international was dismissed in the 39th minute for foul and abusive language towards referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero who has since received an influx of abuse online by fans who feel that his dismissal was unfair. On Tuesday, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) condemned the "repulsive" abuse Montero has received online.
Bellingham was shown a straight red card in the first half of Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Osasuna on Saturday after the referee had accused Bellingham of shouting "f*** you" over a decision he disagreed with, but Bellingham claims he had actually said "f*** off" to himself rather than anyone specifically.
The governing body deemed Bellingham demonstrated a "disrespectful/inconsiderate" attitude towards the referee and could have handed him a 12-match ban due to the offense but instead were somewhat lenient with their decision. Interestingly the referee who sent off Bellingham has denounced what he calls a "false accusation" by local media that has led to him being temporarily sidelined by the Spanish FA.
Jose Luis Munuera will not referee a game for the federation until it concludes its analysis of a report by the online newspaper El Espanol which stated that he had business relations with "officials" in the Spanish league. The main focus was on Talentus Sports Speakers and Munuera released a statement on the company.
He stated that Talentus "has never invoiced any quantity from any sporting institution, whether it be a club, a federation or a company linked to sports." If true the referee should return to officiating without a problem much to the dismay of Madrid fans who believe the decision to ban Bellingham is unjust.
The 21-year-old is available to face Manchester City in tonight’s Champions League game however which will be hosted at the Bernabeu this evening. Bellingham will however miss La Liga fixtures against Girona and Real Betis and with every game being crucial in such a tight title race between Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid it could severely damage their title chances.