Pep Guardiola has told Real Madrid to “leave the referees in peace” following the recent red card given to Jude Bellingham.
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Guardiola weighs in on Bellingham red card controversy
Bellingham was sent off by referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero for foul and abusive language against Osasuna.
The Spanish referee accused the England international of shouting ‘f— you’ in his direction.
However, the midfielder claimed there was a miscommunication and he only said “f— off.”
Madrid has accused officials of bias and has met with LaLiga’s refereeing council (CTA), according to reports in Spain.
Speaking ahead of the Champions League clash, Guardiola said he didn’t feel the language that Bellingham used was an issue in the incident.
“My English is good, but I don’t understand the difference between f— off and f— you,” Guardiola said. “But what’s important is the intention, not the insult. The best thing is not to do it and leave the referees in peace.
“There have always been decisions. You should ask Jude what his intention was. That’s what matters.”
“Maybe you can insult someone with a great smile on your face and that wouldn’t be that bad, right?”
City will travel to the Bernabeu on Wednesday, aiming to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg to secure a spot in the Round of 16.
Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs will take charge of the game.
Guardiola said that despite the controversy over Bellingham’s red card, he has not felt the need to remind his players to be respectful toward the officials.
“I would not say never, ever but rarely do I talk about the referees with my players,” Guardiola said.
“Maybe in the circumstances where the days before it is impossible to forget because it’s in the vibe of the locker room and the media, but most of the time I don’t even know who the referee will be.”
“Yesterday [Monday] and this morning, we didn’t talk with the team and it’s not going to happen tonight or tomorrow.”
