Barcelona coach Flick calls Bellingham ‘disrespectful’ for red card outburst.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has criticized Jude Bellingham for being “disrespectful” following the Real Madrid star’s red card in their 1-1 La Liga draw with Osasuna.
Bellingham was sent off for dissent in the 39th minute on Saturday after a heated exchange with referee Jose Munuera Montero. The England international later claimed it was a “misunderstanding” and denied insulting the official.
Flick, however, was unimpressed. “It was disrespectful. It’s not for me to judge what exactly Bellingham meant, but I tell my players not to waste time or energy arguing with referees,” he said on Sunday. “Only the captain should speak to the referee, and getting a red card like that hurts the team.”
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti defended Bellingham, suggesting the referee misinterpreted his words. “I think with Bellingham’s red card, the referee didn’t understand English well… I don’t think it was offensive,” Ancelotti told reporters.
This marks Bellingham’s second red card since joining Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, with his first coming last March after a dispute with referee Jesus Gil Manzano in a 2-2 draw against Valencia.
Barcelona have the chance to go level on points with Madrid at the top of the table when they face Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
