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On Wednesday night, Real Madrid’s Champions League journey came to an abrupt end at the hands of Bayern Munich, as tensions flared among the Madrid players, notably between Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.
The clash at Allianz Arena saw Madrid holding a 3-2 lead, which brought the aggregate score to a 4-4 tie, setting the stage for potential extra time. However, the dynamics shifted dramatically in the 86th minute when Camavinga was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for delaying a free-kick.
Camavinga’s dismissal followed his first yellow card, issued just minutes earlier for a foul on Jamal Musiala. This critical sending-off allowed Bayern to capitalize swiftly, with Luis Diaz scoring a decisive goal shortly thereafter.
Even before Camavinga’s exit, tensions were already running high. A heated exchange between Bellingham and Vinicius Junior erupted just moments before the red card incident.
The altercation was sparked in the 83rd minute when Vinicius Junior, having gained possession, advanced towards the goal. Meanwhile, Bellingham made a determined run into the penalty area, urging his teammate to pass the ball to him in a promising position.
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
Vinicius Junior’s poor touch saw him quickly closed down by Dayot Upamecano and, unable to make the pass, he incensed Bellingham, who made his frustrations clear to the Brazilian.
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.’