Jude Bellingham found himself at the center of controversy during the heated Madrid derby after pitch-side microphones caught him directing an explicit outburst at a linesman.
The thrilling clash between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid ended in a tense 1-1 draw, with Julian Alvarez converting a debated penalty to give Atletico the lead.
However, Kylian Mbappe quickly responded after Bellingham’s blocked shot created an opportunity near the goal line.
As emotions ran high at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bellingham lost his cool in the 12th minute after a disputed throw-in decision. When the linesman awarded possession to Atletico, the England international furiously shouted, “Fk you, man! Fk off!” before shaking his head and moving on.
This isn’t the first time the 21-year-old has been caught in a heated exchange with officials. Earlier in the season, he appeared to call a referee a “piece of s**t” during Real’s 4-1 victory over Espanyol. Despite escaping immediate punishment, the viral nature of his latest outburst could lead to retrospective action.
A similar incident last season saw Mason Greenwood, on loan at Getafe, receive a red card for allegedly swearing at a referee. Though the decision was overturned on appeal, Real Madrid will be hoping their star midfielder avoids any disciplinary action, especially with his impressive tally of 10 goals and 10 assists so far this season.
With this draw, Real Madrid holds a narrow one-point lead over Atletico at the top of La Liga, while Barcelona trails by five points with a game in hand.
Bellingham, however, is already shifting focus to the Champions League, where Real faces Manchester City in a high-stakes first-leg clash at the Etihad on Tuesday.
“Great reaction in the second half, felt we deserved more than a point but that’s football,” Bellingham wrote on Instagram. “Few days rest and back to England for another important game. Hala Madrid.”