Real Madrid against Getafe on a Thursday night at the Coliseum rarely makes global headlines, but Jude Bellingham is more than used to them, and his clash with Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood filled many. The former appeared to call Greenwood a ‘rapist’ during the game, as was caught by the TV cameras, and a disciplinary process was opened at the request of Getafe.
The request itself came as a surprise to Real Madrid and La Liga. A lip-reader has been hired to determine whether Bellingham did indeed say what he is alleged to have done, and a report has been submitted to the Competition Committee, who will decide whether to sanction the Real Madrid star. Greenwood himself was surprised by the matter, and the report details that he and his camp were keen not to take things any further themselves.
The process will take a few weeks, and then there will be a period of 10 days for both sides to submit evidence in the case, followed by a further period of appeal. It means the sanction may not be ratified, if there is one, until well into March, say Marca. That could be a problem for Bellingham, should the sanction be grave. They face Barcelona on the 21st of April, and he will be desperate to be at the Bernabeu for it.
Teams have a tacit agreement not to report issues or insults between players that occur on the pitch, say the Madrid-based daily, hence the bewilderment from La Liga and Real Madrid at Getafe’s insistence.
It continues a curious history between the pair since both arrived in Spain, with reports initially that Greenwood had spoken to Bellingham about coming to Spain. This was spoken publicly by Getafe manager Jose Bordalas, who then apologised publicly for making a mistake, by all accounts, at the behest of Bellingham’s camp.
