The CTA has come to the defence of referee Munuera Montero following the controversy over Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham's red card against Osasuna.
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Bellingham was sent off in the 39th minuteThe midfielder allegedly said "f*ck you" to MonteroMight be banned for up to 12 games by La LigaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bellingham was shown a straight red card in the 39th minute after protesting against officiating decisions that went against Real Madrid. He was visibly frustrated and approached the referee, gesturing toward different areas of the field while questioning the decisions. According to footage from Spanish broadcaster Movistar, Munuera Montero instructed Bellingham to speak with respect.
"I am speaking to you with respect," Bellingham responded, before appearing to say "f*ck you" as he turned away. The referee immediately ran over and produced a red card, sending the midfielder off.
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Bellingham’s controversial sending-off only added to Real Madrid’s growing frustration with refereeing decisions in recent weeks. The club had already expressed dissatisfaction with officiating in previous matches, particularly in games against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid, where questionable calls saw them drop valuable points in the title race to Barcelona.
WHAT THE CTA SAID
The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), under the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), issued a statement strongly condemning the online abuse and threats directed at Montero and his family following the match.
It read: "The professional referees wish to express our absolute rejection of the attacks and threats that our colleague José Luis Munuera Montero is receiving through social media, which affect him personally as well as his family environment.
"These attacks add to the hate and verbal violence with which we have to perform our professional work every weekend and which in the grassroots categories often turns into, even more regrettably, physical violence in many more cases."
DID YOU KNOW?
Bellingham’s red card is not the first time a player has been dismissed for dissent toward a referee in Spanish football. Back in October 2019, former Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele received a red card for telling referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz: “You’re very bad.” Even then, Lionel Messi tried to defend his team-mate, arguing that Dembele’s Spanish was limited and that he did not fully understand what he was saying. Despite this, the French winger was handed a two-match suspension, which remained unchanged even after Barcelona’s appeal.
