Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham has branded the decision to send off teammate Eduardo Camavinga as "a joke" following their dramatic Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich.
The French midfielder, who had only been on the pitch for 24 minutes as a substitute, received his second yellow card in the 86th minute for kicking the ball away after a foul on Harry Kane. With the aggregate score tied at 4-4 at the time, the dismissal left Real playing with ten men during the crucial final minutes.
Bellingham expressed his disbelief to reporters as he left the Allianz Arena, stating in Spanish: "Impossible that it is a red."
Bayern Munich capitalized on their numerical advantage, scoring two late goals to secure a 6-4 aggregate victory and progress to the semi-finals.
Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa was scathing in his assessment of the referee's decision. "You can't send a player off for something like that," he insisted. "I think the referee took out the card because he did not know Camavinga was booked already. It ruined a match that was going really well, very evenly matched."
The controversy didn't end with the final whistle. Television footage captured club captain Dani Carvajal confronting referee Slavko Vincic from the touchline, shouting: "It's your fault." Meanwhile, Arda Guler, who scored Real's first two goals, received a red card after the match for storming over to the official and will now miss the first game of next season's league phase.
Spanish journalist Juan Castro described the mood at Real Madrid as one of disbelief and anger. "People are very angry at the referee," he reported. "They are very worried about what has happened in Munich. This will have consequences."
The defeat marks a bitter end to Real Madrid's Champions League campaign, with the controversial sending-off overshadowing what had been a thrilling seven-goal encounter between two European giants.