Carlo Ancelotti did not hold back in his criticism of referee Munuera Montero following Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw against Osasuna at El Sadar, voicing his frustration over what he saw as another instance of poor officiating.
The Italian was particularly incensed by the decision to send off Jude Bellingham late in the match, arguing that it stemmed from a misunderstanding of the player’s words.
A translation error at the heart of Bellingham’s dismissal
Bellingham was shown a straight red card for allegedly using offensive language towards the referee, but Ancelotti was adamant that the decision was based on a misinterpretation.
“He didn’t understand English correctly because Bellingham said ‘fu*k off,’ not ‘fu*k you’,” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference. “The translation was wrong; it actually means ‘don’t mess with me’. It’s not offensive.”
The Real Madrid boss suggested that the referee overreacted rather than making a rational decision.
“The red card shows the referee was nervous, nothing more,” he added.
Ancelotti’s complaints did not stop with Bellingham’s red card, as he referenced what he saw as a pattern of unfavourable decisions against Real Madrid in recent games, including the Madrid derby against Atlético and the away fixture against Espanyol.
“Things have happened in these last three matches that everyone has seen. I won’t say more because I want to be on the bench for the next game,” he remarked.
He also questioned the lack of VAR interventions, particularly in incidents inside the opposition’s penalty area.
“The VAR did not check key situations in the opposing penalty area, even though there were two or three plays that should have been reviewed,” Ancelotti said.
Madrid were left frustrated, not just with the result but with what they see as continued inconsistency in officiating decisions.