BARCELONA, Spain — The referee at the center of a controversial red card shown to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has spoken out against what he describes as unfounded allegations made by local news outlets. These accusations have resulted in José Luis Munuera being temporarily relieved of his officiating duties by the Spanish soccer federation.
The federation announced on Tuesday that a comprehensive evaluation is underway regarding a report published by El Español, which suggested that Munuera has business connections with certain individuals within the Spanish league.
Central to the report is Talentus Sports Speakers, a company in which Munuera is involved, providing motivational talks featuring various sports personalities. In response to these media claims, Munuera issued a statement asserting that Talentus Sports Speakers has never billed any sports institution, be it a club, federation, or sports-related entity.
Furthermore, Munuera indicated that he intends to pursue legal actions against any media platforms that have, whether intentionally or through negligence, disseminated false or misleading information about him or the officiating profession.
Showing his support for the federation’s actions, La Liga president Javier Tebas clarified that there are no commercial ties between Munuera or Talentus Sports Speakers and the league itself. He informed reporters that the league had engaged in transactions with a different organization previously, which is co-owned by a former league official associated with Talentus Sports Speakers.
In an interview with Spanish radio station Cope, Munuera asserted his position, stating he is prepared to prove to the federation that he has never received compensation from any sports organization. He also highlighted that he has been conducting sports-related talks for several years before co-founding the company last year.
The spotlight on Munuera’s business dealings intensified just days following a match where he sent off Bellingham for saying a curse word in English while expressing his disagreement with the officiating during a 1-1 draw against Osasuna in La Liga.
Real Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti and Bellingham publicly criticized Munuera’s decision, claiming that the referee had made a mistake in issuing the red card. This latest round of complaints emerged just weeks after Madrid had publicly voiced concerns about Spain’s referees, whom they accused of consistently favoring the opponents of the historically successful club.
Earlier, before the scrutiny of Munuera, the Spanish soccer federation condemned the online “attacks and threats” directed at the referee following the contentious red card decision involving Bellingham.
