Key Takeaways
- Jude Bellingham called the late sending-off of Eduardo Camavinga “a joke” after Real Madrid crashed out of Europe.
- Camavinga received a second yellow for kicking the ball away, leaving the Spanish side with ten men in the closing minutes.
- Bayern Munich scored twice late on to win 6-4 on aggregate and will meet Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has slammed the decision to dismiss team-mate Eduardo Camavinga in Wednesday’s dramatic Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
Camavinga, who had only been on the pitch for 24 minutes, was shown a second yellow card in the 86th minute for delaying a Bayern free-kick. The tie was level at 4-4 on aggregate when the Spanish champions were reduced to ten men.
Speaking briefly to reporters outside the Allianz Arena, Bellingham shook his head and said in Spanish: “A joke. Impossible that it is a red.”
The England star was not the only Madrid player to vent his anger. Club captain Dani Carvajal, unused in the match, shouted at referee Slavko Vincic from the touchline, while defender Antonio Rudiger urged reporters to “watch the red card again” before adding: “It’s best I don’t speak about the referee.”
Teenage forward Arda Guler, who struck twice in the seven-goal thriller, later received a red card for confronting the official. On Instagram he wrote: “This isn’t how it should’ve been. We’re very sorry. We will be back. Hala Madrid.” He will now miss the opening match of next season’s league phase.
Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa claimed the referee “obviously” changed the game. “Nobody understands how a player can be sent off for that,” he said. “I think the official pulled out the card because he forgot Camavinga had already been booked. Bayern players had to remind him it was the second yellow. It ruined a match that was perfectly balanced.”
Spanish journalist Juan Castro told local radio that the Madrid camp felt “disbelief and anger. They believe the decision handed the tie to Bayern.”
Within minutes of the dismissal, Luis Diaz fired Bayern ahead on aggregate before Michael Olise’s stoppage-time curler sealed a 6-4 overall victory. Diaz later defended the red card, saying: “He held the ball and stopped our quick free-kick. The referee was right.”
UEFA says its disciplinary panel will study the match report before deciding if any extra sanctions are required. Real Madrid, meanwhile, face a rare season without a trophy and fresh questions over their future direction.