Robert Lewandowski was the protagonist of an unfortunate controversy in the Osasuna-Barça match in the 2022/23 season. The Pole was sent off for a second yellow card, and on his way to the locker room he made the gesture of touching his nose. Referee Gil Manzano considered the action as offensive and reflected it in the match report, a decision that inexplicably led to the suspension of the '9' culé for three games.
Now, two seasons later, Jude Bellingham finds himself involved in a new refereeing controversy. Once the duel between Real Madrid and Valladolid has finished, images of the Englishman addressing the central referee after being cautioned in the 81st minute for protesting have gone viral. The midfielder is said to have told Munuera Montero: "you're a piece of shit", a very serious insult that, incomprehensibly, could go unpunished by the CTA
Why was Lewandowski sanctioned and not Bellingham?
And the fact is that according to 'MARCA', the referees' committee will not report Bellingham's action because, as a rule, complaints come when the statements appear in the hand of a statement on the field or in a press conference. If it is something that happens or occurs in the middle of a match and is not heard by the referee, it stays there and is not given any further treatment. A measure that did not take place in the case of Lewandowski but that, as he is a Real Madrid player, does seem to be in force, exposing the double 'standard' that, coincidentally, always favors those who wear white.