On Wednesday night, Real Madrid’s Champions League journey came to an abrupt end at the hands of Bayern Munich, in a match marked by rising tensions among the players in white. One such heated exchange involved Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.
With the scoreboard reading 3-2 in favor of Madrid at the Allianz Arena, the tie was evenly poised at 4-4 on aggregate and seemed destined for extra time. However, in the 86th minute, Camavinga received his second yellow card for stalling a free-kick, leading to his expulsion.
The midfielder had been cautioned earlier for tugging Jamal Musiala’s shirt, and his removal from the game turned the tide. Shortly after, Bayern capitalized on Madrid’s numerical disadvantage as Luis Diaz scored a crucial goal.
Before Camavinga’s departure, tensions were already simmering, evidenced by a confrontation between Bellingham and Vinicius Junior just moments prior to the red card incident.
This altercation unfolded in the 83rd minute when Vinicius Junior, having gained possession, advanced towards the goal. Meanwhile, Bellingham dashed into the box, signaling for a pass while positioned in open space.
Vinicius Junior was caught on camera responding to Bellingham after the Englishman criticised the Brazilian for not passing to him: ‘What do you want? Shut up and close your mouth’
Bellingham branded the referee’s decision to send off Camavinga ‘a joke’ after the match
Unfortunately, Vinicius Junior’s misstep allowed Dayot Upamecano to close in swiftly, preventing the pass and provoking Bellingham’s visible frustration towards his teammate.
Vinicius Junior was then caught on camera responding to Bellingham angrily: ‘What do you want? What do you want? Shut up and close your mouth.’
After the final whistle Vincic was harangued by players as he marched towards the tunnel with Guler, who had scored two brilliant goals on the night, having to be restrained by staff as he yelled in the Slovenian official’s face.
Vincic then decided enough was enough and gave the Turkish youngster a red card.
Antonio Rudiger and Vinicius Junior were among the chief antagonists, with both seen leading the pursuit and lambasting Vincic. Dani Carvajal, who didn’t even make it on to the pitch, was also caught shouting at the referee: ‘It’s your f*****g fault.’
The angry protests continued into the tunnel in chaotic scenes, with Bellingham criticising Camavinga’s sending off in the mixed zone with a three-word verdict: ‘It’s a joke.’
Beaten Real boss Alvaro Arbeloa also accused the referee of ‘ruining the game’.
He told Spanish press: ‘Obviously, you can’t send off a player for something like that. The referee didn’t even know he had a card and he ruined a very exciting, very evenly matched tie, a real battle, and that’s how the game ended.’
Furious Real Madrid players pursued the referee Slavko Vincic at full-time after their defeat
Arda Guler was the chief culprit and ended up being sent off after the final whistle
When asked how Camavinga was, he added: ‘Like everyone else.’
Arbeloa then added on TNT Sport: ‘I think with the red card, everything was over. It is really unbelievable that you send off a player for this action, it’s not possible in a match like that to be sent off for this.
‘We feel really, really upset, angry and disappointed and I think all of this is a little bit unfair.’
The Bayern Munich players unsurprisingly had a slightly different take on events however, with Diaz telling El Chiringuito TV: ‘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.’
The post-match chaos overshadowed what was otherwise a terrific game, including Harry Kane netting his 50th goal of the season in all competitions. He is the first Englishman to rack up this tally since Aston Villa’s Tom ‘Pongo’ waring in 1930-31.
Kane insisted his side are up for the challenge against the current holders in the semi-final, saying: ‘We feel strong, we feel like we can beat anyone when we’re at our highest level – we’re going to need that to beat PSG.’
Meanwhile the record 15-time champions are not used to failure in this competition, and Arbeloa accepted responsibility for the defeat, while admitting that he would ‘understand’ any decision the club may make over his future.
‘I am the one responsible for the defeats and I will always take the consequences from that,’ he said.
‘I will understand any decision the club makes. I’m a Real Madrid man through and through. I care about this club, the players and the supporters a lot more than I care about myself.
‘I will respect the club’s decision. But I’m not thinking about that. It’s a decision of the club. I’m a man of the club and all I want is for Madrid to win, regardless of who their coach is.’
