Jude Bellingham apologises to Real Madrid teammates for 'misunderstanding' that led to his sending off in Osasuna draw

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has apologised to his teammates for his send-off in the 1-1 La Liga draw at Osasuna on Saturday (February 15).

Mbappe put the visitors in front inside 15 minutes before Bellingham received his marching orders 24 minutes later. After Madrid received several 'heavy' challenges that went unpunished by the referee, the Englishman seemingly made a remark to the on-field official, for which he received a straight red.

Osasuna capitalised on their numerical superiority, drawing level through Ante Budimir's 58th-minute penalty. The draw keeps Los Blancos atop the pile, but Atletico Madrid would overtake them if they beat Celta Vigo at home in a later kick-off.

Meanwhile, Bellingham apologised to his teammates for leaving them a man short for more than half the game. He said (as per Madrid Xtra):

"I apologise to the team. It was a misunderstanding."

Terming it a 'communication error', Bellingham clarified that he didn't 'insult' the referee, as he was only admonishing himself, which was apparently misinterpreted by the match official:

“It’s clear that there was a communication error. It’s an expression like the Spanish expression ‘joder’ and the consequence is that he left us with one less player. It’s not an insult, it was an expression for MYSELF, you’ll see it in the video.”

The draw marked the third straight game Los Blancos failed to win in the league, drawing the last two.

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How has Jude Bellingham fared for Real Madrid this season?

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham

After a slow start to his sophomore campaign at Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham has come into his own in the second half of the season. In 32 games across competitions, the Englishman has contributed 11 goals and 10 assists.

Most of those goal contributions expectedly - seven goals and six assists in 19 games - have come in La Liga, where Carlo Ancelotti's side are pursuing back-to-back league titles in nearly two decades.

Bellingham has also scored thrice and assisted as many times in nine outings in the UEFA Champions League, where holders Madrid are coming off a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 win at Manchester City in the knockout play-off first leg. The Englishman scored once in the game.

The 21-year-old also scored once in two games in the Supercopa Espana, where Madrid's title defence ended with a 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the final. He also provided an assist in the UEFA Super Cup win as well.