Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid, Barcelona, El Clasico, La Liga
Luke Davies
Topics: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid, Barcelona, El Clasico, La Liga
Jude Bellingham directed a highly controversial comment at Pedri during Real Madrid’s 2-1 El Clásico victory against Barcelona.
Bellingham’s 43rd-minute strike helped Real Madrid extend the gap between themselves and Barcelona at the top of La Liga to five points, with Kylian Mbappe also getting on the scoresheet as well as missing a penalty, while Fermin Lopez netted Barca’s equaliser on 38 minutes.
And as matches between the La Liga giants usually are, the fixture was littered with controversy.
Just two minutes in, referee Cesar Soto Grado pointed to the spot after Lamine Yamal was adjudged to have fouled Vinicius Junior, only for the decision to be overturned.
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And this seemingly set the tone for Vinicius Junior, who was not pleased when he was withdrawn on 72 minutes.
The Brazil international walked straight down the tunnel and appeared to be annoyed before he returned to the bench a short while later.
Broadcaster DAZN even picked up Vinicius’ comments as he left the field, with the player saying: “Always me! I'm leaving the team! I'm leaving! It's better if I leave, I'm leaving."
Then tensions continued after full-time with Vinicius confronting Yamal. The 25-year-old was one of five players booked during the unsavoury incident, with Real’s Andriy Lunin shown a red card.
This came after Yamal had claimed that Real ‘steal’ and ‘complain’ ahead of the clash. And Bellingham could not help but aim a dig at Barca in the hours after the game by posting: “Talk is cheap. Hala Madrid Always,” on his Instagram.
The England international was also involved in a flashpoint during the match.
On 56 minutes, Bellingham appeared to catch Pedri with his arm before the Barca man dropped to the floor as Grado blew his whistle for the foul.
The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder then mocked Pedri by touching his head and imitating him with laughter.
Next, Bellingham made a controversial claim as the Barca playmaker insisted that the foul warranted a red card.
The England man reportedly said: “Not even with Negreira,” according to MARCA, with footage broadcast by Movistar+'s El Día Después.
As reported by The Athletic, the ‘Caso Negreira’ came to light in February 2023 when Catalan radio show 'Què t’hi jugues!' reported that “Barcelona had been paying a company belonging to Enriquez Negreira”.
At the time, BBC Sport reported that Barca allegedly paid Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira - a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee – £7.4m between 2001 and 2018.
A Barcelona court heard in March 2023 that former club officials and Negreira had been indicted for "corruption", "breach of trust" and "false business records".
Former club presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell were also targeted in the lawsuits. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
The case is currently ongoing.