Jude Bellingham was not happy about the decision to send Eduardo Camavinga off against Bayern Munich
Jude Bellingham criticised the decision to send off team-mate Eduardo Camavinga during Real Madrid’s Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich, describing it as “a joke” in the aftermath of the game.
Camavinga, introduced from the bench, was dismissed in the 86th minute after receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away and delaying a free-kick following a foul on Harry Kane.
As Bellingham made his way past reporters after the match, he gave made a snide comment, as did several of his team-mates.
“A joke,” he said. “Impossible that it is a red”, he said.
Camavinga red card turns UCL tie
At the time of the dismissal, the tie was level on aggregate, with both sides still in contention for a semi-final spot heading into the closing stages.
Reduced to 10 men, Madrid struggled to hold out as Bayern took control late on, scoring twice to secure a 6-4 aggregate win and progress to the semi-finals.
The decision quickly became the main talking point, with several Madrid players reacting both on the pitch and after full-time.
Real Madrid players left fuming
Defender Antonio Rudiger hinted at his frustration but avoided direct criticism. “It’s best I don’t talk about the referee. Did you see the red card?” he said.
Club captain Dani Carvajal was more animated, confronting referee Slavko Vincic from the touchline. Television footage showed Carvajal pointing towards the official and shouting: “It’s your fault.”
Arda Guler, who scored twice on the night, was later shown a red card after approaching the referee following the final whistle.
“This isn’t how it should’ve been. We’re very sorry. We will be back. Hala Madrid,” he wrote on social media.
Arbeloa says red card ‘ruined’ UCL match
Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa said the decision ultimately decided the tie. “You can’t send a player off for something like that,” Arbeloa said. “Nobody understands how a player can be sent off for that.
“I think the referee took out the card because he did not know Camavinga was booked already. It’s a double mistake.
“It ruined a match that was going really well. That was the end of the game.”
Bayern Munich players defend referee call
From Bayern’s perspective, the decision was justified. Luis Diaz said the dismissal helped shift the momentum late in the game.
“I think the referee was right to send him off. We wanted to take the free-kick quickly and he didn’t release the ball,” Díaz said.
“Obviously, the red card really lifted our spirits and we said ‘this has to be it’, and that’s how it turned out.”
Kane also acknowledged the impact of the moment. “Obviously the sending off helped us a little bit, but we had to take our moments at the end of the game, and we did that.”
UEFA is expected to review the referee’s report before deciding whether any further action will be taken.
Bayern will now face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, with a potential final spot against Arsenal or Atletico Madrid on the cards.
