Jude Bellingham has drawn a lot of flak after it was discovered that he had sworn at an assistant referee at Real Madrid’s tense La Liga 1-1 draw with local rivals Atletico Madrid. After the match official’s early judgement stunned the English midfielder, he took to a pitchside microphone at the Bernabeu to express his frustration.
His X-rated tirade was so shown live on television on Saturday night for the entire world to hear. For the Champions League and La Liga double winners from the previous season, the incident set the tone for a disappointing evening in which Bellingham and his teammates found it difficult to make an impression.
Barcelona, who are five points behind with one game remaining, were able to reduce the gap in the rankings after Carlo Ancelotti’s team had to settle for a point in the end. However, Bellingham is under investigation for more than simply his performance.
The Verbal Assault on Assistant Referee by Jude Bellingham
Bellingham’s annoyance had already reached a boiling point with just eleven minutes remaining and the scoreline still in play. Both teams rushed to regain possession as the ball was sent out for a throw-in. But the linesman quickly gave it to Atletico, which infuriated the home crowd.
The 21-year-old lashes out in a furious scream, spinning around to face the linesman. Watch the footage below, but be aware that there is foul language in it, as the England international was heard yelling:
“Dude, f*** you! “F*** off!”
Jude Bellingham just shouted "FUCK YOU MAN! FUCK OFF!"pic.twitter.com/cLusgSK3YM
— Football Report (@FootballReprt) February 8, 2025
Bellingham avoided being booked at the time of the incident despite his display of disapproval. It is yet unknown, though, if La Liga will choose to conduct a backwards look. Only a few months had passed since he called a referee a “piece of s***” during Real Madrid’s 4-1 triumph over Espanyol.
A flurry of criticism was directed upon Bellingham by numerous fans on the internet. One fan declared: “I would ban Bellingham for three games,” another said: “Bellingham has serious anger issues,” and a third said: “This needs to be looked into regardless of the language barrier.” It needs to be examined. “Damn, what happened to the whole humble PR gimmick?” said a fourth commenter.
A lot of outstanding football players choose to express themselves on the pitch. Bellingham could easily be ranked among the best in the league right now after helping Real Madrid win a lot of games last season and now having seven goals and six assists in 19 league games this season, but he frequently lets his emotions get the better of him.
