Bellingham’s verbal abuse of the referee earned him a two-match punishment

Jude Bellingham, a midfielder for Real Madrid, was given a two-match suspension by the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) on Wednesday for verbally insulting a referee during his team’s 1-1 La Liga tie against Osasuna on Saturday.

Referee Jose Munuera Montero dismissed 21-year-old Bellingham because he believed the England player had used derogatory words against him.

The RFEF Disciplinary Committee disagreed with Bellingham and his coach Carlo Ancelotti’s assertion that the official was wrong and punished him for “attitudes of contempt or lack of consideration towards referees.”

Bellingham will be made available for La Liga matches against Girona and Betis, according to Real Madrid’s request.

The incident on Saturday provoked an unexpected discussion on cultural interpretations of English vulgarity and translation in Spanish media. Real Madrid filed a letter of complaint against La Liga’s referees following what they claimed were several unfair decisions, which further stoked a dispute between Real Madrid and the nation’s soccer authority.

Referees were disgusted by the abuse Montero has endured after sending Bellingham off, according to a statement released by RFEF on Tuesday.