Report: Jude Bellingham to avoid sanction after 'piece of s**t" jibe at referee

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is not expected to face any punishment for insulting the referee during his side's 4-1 win over Espanyol.

Despite what the scoreline may suggest, it was an uncomfortable game for Madrid, who went 1-0 down early in the second half and only managed to turn things around following the introduction of Vinicius Junior off the bench.

With ten minutes remaining, Bellingham was shown a yellow card for protesting what he felt was a missed call. As the camera zoomed in on Bellingham's face, he was seen calling referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero a "piece of s**t".

According to MARCA, there will not be an investigation into the incident as it happened on the pitch and is therefore under the jurisdiction of the referee.

With Munuera Montero either failing to report or simply not hearing Bellingham's comments, the incident has passed by and will not be pursued.

La Liga will only investigate comments made in the public domain, such as in interviews or press conferences, and are therefore prepared to move on from this latest incident unless they receive a formal complaint, which is highly unlikely.

It means Bellingham remains free to play for Madrid, starting with a visit from Alaves on Tuesday.