"It is not fair" - Carlo Ancelotti confirms Real Madrid will appeal to overturn Jude Bellingham's two-match suspension
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that the club will appeal to overturn the two-match suspension handed to their star English midfielder Jude Bellingham for his red card against Valencia in La Liga on Saturday, March 2.
Bellingham was sent off in the ninth minute of extra time for excessive protesting against referee Gil Manzano's controversial decision to blow for full-time when Real were on the attack.
With the game tied at 2-2, midfielder Brahim Diaz whipped a cross into the box and the Englishman met the ball first, nodding it into the far corner. However, Manzano had blown the whistle just before the cross could be played in, and the goal did not stand.
As per Manzano's post-match report, Bellingham was said to have repeatedly screamed, "It's a f***ing goal," in his face. The sustained profanity was enough for the Spanish football authorities to hand him a two-match ban.
Speaking to the media before Real's second-leg clash in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 against RB Leipzig, Ancelotti was asked about the ban.
The Italian confirmed that Real were going to appeal against the ban, saying (via Madrid Xtra):
“We will appeal Bellingham’s suspension because it is not fair."
The suspension currently means that Bellingham will miss Real Madrid's games against Celta Vigo and Osasuna in the league. He is currently the top scorer in the league, with 16 goals and three assists in 22 games, and will be a sore miss for the league leaders as they look to extend their lead (69 points) at the top.
"They're much better" - Carlo Ancelotti praises European referees amid La Liga controversy
Ancelotti also praised other European referees in the UEFA Champions League, insinuating that the refereeing standards in Spanish league play were much lower.
The Real Madrid manager opened up on the matter in an interview with Sky Sports Italy. When asked about the controversy, the Italian kept his cool, but could not refrain from releasing some barbs at the Spanish referees' controversial decisions.
As per Diario AS, Ancelotti said:
"In the Champions League, the best referees from all the countries whistle. The number of errors here is reduced because the quality is higher than in domestic leagues."
Real Madrid came away with just a 1-1 draw against Leipzig on the night, but prevailed 2-1 on aggregate to move into the quarterfinals. This keeps them alive and in the running to compete for the La Liga and the Champions League titles.