Fans were caught off guard when Bellingham was sent off, but replays showed he had spoken to Montero shortly before he received his marching orders. Then, after Spanish TV channel Movistar released footage showing the Madrid star swearing, he explained what happened and revealed that he had sworn, but it wasn’t aimed at the referee, saying: “I said the words to myself (F**k off), not to the referee, I already turned away. It’s difficult when the referee says I insulted him, when I clearly didn’t. I am glad the videos are out as evidence, which goes against the match report.”
The Englishman was sent off in the 38th minute of Real Madrid’s trip to Osasuna, and his exact words have now been revealed.
Montero Released a Statement
He addressed the incident on social media
Shortly after it was announced that the Spanish Football Federation were launching an investigation into the incident between Bellingham and Montero, the referee spoke out about the situation for the first time and released a statement on Instagram via Relevo. He denied any accusations of corruption and promised to take legal action against the media. In quotes shared by Football Espana, he said:
“In recent months the excessive attack on the refereeing collective has been evidenced, on this last occasion with me being the protagonist. The company Talentus Sports Speakers, a company owned by the referee José Luis Munuera, has not invoiced any amount to any sports entity since its creation, whether clubs, federations or companies in the sports industry.
“I anticipate that I will exercise the corresponding civil and criminal actions against those media that intentionally or recklessly have disseminated falsehoods or incorrect or biased information, generating irreparable damage to the professional prestige, reputation of myself and the refereeing group, as well as to my own personal privacy and that of third parties.”
Montero Claimed His Family Have Suffered Because of the Incident
They’ve been harrassed after the red card
Montero has faced significant backlash following his decision to send Bellingham off. He isn’t the only one, though, and he also spoke about the issues his family have faced as they’ve been targeted. Speaking about the impact the incident has had on his siblings and his elderly father, he said:
“I’ve been locked up at home all day. It’s very hard. It’s already too much with my family. They are messing with my nine siblings… My 80-year-old father has had enough. Today he went to church. Are we crazy? This is getting out of hand.”
