"I got sent off for showing the middle finger" - Muriqi addresses Bellingham's two-game ban

La Liga is going through a turbulent time. After three games of controversial decisions, Real Madrid has finally exploded against the referees for Jude Bellingham's sending off against Osasuna. Munuera Montero could not have imagined that after showing the Englishman the red card he would end up suspended after his possible conflict of interest was uncovered.

On Wednesday, the Real Madrid player learned that his sanction will be two matches, although now it is the turn of the 'Merengues' to appeal and start the process. First of all, the referee from Jaen wrote in his report that Bellingham had said “f*ck you”, while Bellingham maintains that he said “f*ck off”. The atmosphere is very tense and a debate has been opened in Spain.

One of the most talked about refereeing actions this season was a rather more surreal sending-off. In the Las Palmas-Mallorca game, Vedat Muriqi was shown the red card after showing Jaime Mata the middle finger. Not at the Referee, mind you. The Las Palmas striker had celebrated in the face of the Kosovar for a save by his goalkeeper when the match was tied. The VAR intervened in a very curious way: it decreed that the Mallorcan striker had to be sent off and called an indirect foul inside Las Palmas' box in favour of Mallorca for Mata's disrespect. The 'Bermellones' scored and won the match.

In an interview for the program 'Pim, pam, Llum' of 'IB3', Muriqi was questioned about Bellingham's red card and recalled precisely his situation. He said it with a face of circumstance, aware that his words could generate a stir. His intervention was in a lighthearted entertainment program.

“If you remember, for not saying anything, for showing the middle finger, they showed me a red card and gave me one-match ban,” he said. Asked how many Bellingham should get (the interview was before the sanction was announced), he said, “I guess for this it would be... four.”

 

February 18, 2025