Jude Bellingham has evidently learnt his lesson regarding conduct towards referees.
The Real Madrid superstar was slapped with a two-match ban in February after he was sent off for verbally abusing the match official during his side’s 1-1 draw with Osasuna.
Referee Jose Munuera Montero accused Bellingham of saying ‘f*** you’ in his direction, although the English international insisted he said ‘f*** off’.
Bellingham vehemently defended himself and said the incident was a ‘miscommunication’ while Madrid fought on his behalf to get the ban overturned.
Unfortunately for Los Blancos the suspension was upheld, as Bellingham missed his side’s 2-0 win over Girona and 2-1 defeat on Saturday to Real Betis.
The lack of playing time certainly left its mark on the 21-year-old.
In an Instagram story, Bellingham shared a picture of himself in a gym wearing England shorts and a thick grey tank top.
He captioned the photo: “Weekends without a game. Lesson learnt!”
Bellingham also added a yawning emoji after the first line, evidently pointing to his boredom of not being able to play.
Luckily for the midfielder, he won’t be bored for much longer given his suspension is now finished.
His first opportunity to return to the Madrid line-up comes on Tuesday as his side host cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
Should Bellingham get through that match unscathed, his first chance to return to domestic football is on March 9 when Madrid face Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu.
@judebellingham – InstagramThe England international shared a six-word message that summed up his boredom[/caption]
He’ll certainly be on his best behaviour given the uproar caused by his sending off against Osasuna.
When confirming Bellingham’s ban would remain, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) explained it was because he displayed ‘contemptuous or inconsiderate attitudes towards referees, officials or sports authorities.’
Despite being the one on the receiving end of Bellingham’s retort, referee Montero was in the spotlight for reasons unrelated to the incident.
The RFEF had launched an investigation into Montero for a separate incident relating to his ‘extra-sporting activities’.
Montero owns a consultancy agency titled Talentus Sports, whose alleged client base includes the likes of UEFA, LaLiga and even some clubs like Atletico Madrid and Manchester City.
However, the 41-year-old passionately defended himself on Spanish radio show El Partidazo and declared he had ‘never, ever’ received payment from a sporting organisation.
Bellingham’s return to action can’t come soon enough for Madrid.
The 2-1 loss to Betis ensured Carlo Ancelotti‘s side had picked up just one win in their last five league fixtures, with two draws and two losses to boot.
Madrid’s worrying run of results allowed Atletico Madrid to sit top of the tree in LaLiga with 56 points.
Ancelotti’s side are in third and equal on 54 points with second-placed Barcelona, although a massive 12-goal differential separates the two Spanish giants.
