Bellingham calls Camavinga red card 'a joke' as Real Madrid fury erupts
Bellingham and several Real Madrid teammates confronted the referee after the final whistle at Allianz Arena
Jude Bellingham has branded Eduardo Camavinga's red card "a joke" after Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League following a dramatic 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Camavinga received his second yellow card in the 86th minute for kicking the ball away after fouling Harry Kane, having been on the pitch for just 24 minutes as a substitute.
When asked about the dismissal as he headed to the team bus in Munich, Bellingham didn't hold back.
"A joke," the England midfielder said in Spanish, shaking his head. "Impossible that it is a red."
The sending-off came with the tie locked at 4-4 on aggregate. Forced to play out the final minutes a man down, Real conceded twice late on as Bayern advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-4 aggregate victory.
'It ruined the game' - Arbeloa
Bellingham wasn't the only one seething. The incident sparked fury throughout the Real Madrid camp.
Defender Antonio Rudiger chose his words carefully but made his feelings clear: "It's best I don't talk about the referee. Did you see the red card?"
Club captain Dani Carvajal, watching from the sidelines, confronted referee Slavko Vincic immediately after the decision. Television cameras caught him shouting and gesturing at the official.
"It's your fault," Carvajal could be seen yelling.
Arda Guler, who had scored Real's opening two goals, received his own red card after the final whistle for confronting the referee.
He later posted on Instagram: "This isn't how it should've been. We're very sorry. We will be back. Hala Madrid." The dismissal means Guler will miss the opening match of next season's Champions League group stage.
Manager Alvaro Arbeloa was equally scathing, insisting the decision "obviously" determined the outcome.
"You can't send a player off for something like that. Nobody understands how a player can be sent off for that," he said.
"I think the referee took out the card because he didn't know Camavinga was already booked—it was Bayern's players who had to tell him it was the second yellow.
"It's a double mistake besides not knowing he already had a yellow. It ruined a match that was going really well, very evenly matched. It was at its peak. That was the end of the game."
Spanish journalist Juan Castro described the atmosphere around Real Madrid as one of shock and anger.
"People are very angry at the referee," he said. "They are very worried about what has happened in Munich. This will have consequences.
"The second yellow card to Camavinga, you cannot give it in a Champions League match at that moment, when both teams are level. You cannot give it.
"You could see all the players going against the referee. From Madrid's perspective, that decision shifted the balance to Bayern Munich."
Bayern Munich players react
Luis Diaz's powerful strike arrived moments after Camavinga's dismissal, pushing Bayern to a 5-4 aggregate advantage before Michael Olise's stunning curler struck the post and nestled in during the 94th minute, sealing the victory.
Diaz, speaking post-match, confirmed he had an unobstructed view of the Camavinga incident and supported the official's decision.
"I think the referee was right to send him off. We wanted to take the free-kick quickly and he didn't release the ball.
"Obviously, the red card really lifted our spirits and we said 'This has to be it - this is the moment', and that's exactly how it turned out.
"Games like this are decided by small details but we were already pushing and creating chances."
Bayern goalscorer Harry Kane emphasized the significance of the result.
"Obviously the sending off helped us a little bit but we had to take our moments at the end of the game and with Lucho [Luis Diaz] and Mike [Olise], we did that."
Uefa confirmed its disciplinary body will examine the referee's report before determining whether further action is warranted.
Bayern advance to face Paris St-Germain in the semi-finals, while Real Madrid's elimination—the 15-time champions' exit—will likely be remembered for the contentious decision that shaped the tie's outcome.
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