Spanish referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero, who sparked controversy by sending off Jude Bellingham over the weekend, is reportedly under investigation by the RFEF. He now faces the possibility of a significant ban and has been excluded from La Liga's referees list for matchday 25.
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The Spanish referee alleged that the English midfielder directed a frustrated "f*** you" at him during the first half of Real Madrid's La Liga match against Osasuna, resulting in Bellingham being shown a red card in the 39th minute.
However, the 21-year-old has insisted that he "never insulted the referee" and claims the comment "was an expression to myself." Carlo Ancelotti has also strongly defended his player, emphasizing that the incident was a significant misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will be facing Manchester City for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League playoffs on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Ahead of the highly anticipated kickoff, our expert analyst has provided the guideline on how to watch in the article below.
While Bellingham could face a potential 12-game suspension depending on the outcome of the investigation, it has also been reported that the referee Munuera Montero is also under a separate investigation, further fueling Real Madrid's suspicions that Spanish football’s governing bodies are acting against them.
According to a Spanish outlet, AS, Montero is reported to have founded a consultancy and sports management company that has a number of clients ranging from La Liga, UEFA, and several other football clubs, reportedly including the likes of Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain.
It is reported that the official could be banned from officiating for up to five years if he is found to have a conflict of interest. According to Point 9.1 of the Regulatory Code, which all referees and key personnel must follow, individuals are prohibited from holding "secondary interests that could interfere with the proper fulfillment of their professional duties."
The report also states that the Federation's Compliance Committee is still in the process of collecting evidence and remains far from making a final decision. Meanwhile, following the red card controversy, Relevo reports that Montero has been excluded from officiating any of the 10 matches scheduled for the upcoming La Liga match week.
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