Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has been reported to the Spanish FA following an alleged slur towards Mason Greenwood during a recent match against Getafe. The incident occurred when Bellingham tackled Greenwood close to the touchline and was seen uttering a two-syllable word in his direction. Although the microphones did not pick up what was said, fans on social media suggested that Bellingham mouthed the word ‘rapist’. An expert lip-reader has claimed to be ’97 percent confident’ that this was the case.
La Liga has confirmed that they will use their own lip-reader to determine the word used by Bellingham. They have also reported the incident to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), who will investigate further. The league sends a list of incidents to the RFEF after each gameweek, and the Bellingham-Greenwood flashpoint is one that will be examined.
The incident report notes that messages were detected on social media after the match, suggesting a possible incident in which Bellingham insulted Greenwood in English. Numerous media outlets have reported on this incident, which has led to further attention being brought to the matter. Greenwood has previously faced charges of attempted rape, assault, and coercive behavior, but these charges were dropped in 2023 due to the withdrawal of key witnesses.
Getafe has lodged a complaint regarding the alleged insult from Bellingham and has asked the game’s referee to include it in his match report. Bellingham could potentially face disciplinary proceedings from the RFEF, although without audio evidence, it would be difficult to prove the case. Some fans have suggested that the word said by Bellingham was actually ‘rubbish’.
In addition to the Bellingham-Greenwood incident, La Liga’s incident report also highlights alleged racist chanting towards Vinicius Jr from Getafe fans during the same game. The matter has been referred to the RFEF for further investigation. The report states that recordings were detected in which local fans sang intolerant chants, including racist remarks towards Vinicius Jr.
This incident adds to the ongoing issue of racism in football and raises questions about the measures in place to tackle such behavior. It is a reminder that more needs to be done to create a safe and inclusive environment for all players.
The outcome of the investigation by the Spanish FA will determine whether Bellingham will face disciplinary action. It remains to be seen how this incident will impact the relationship between Bellingham and Greenwood, as well as the perception of both players within the football community.
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