Jude Bellingham: Fuck You or Fuck Off ?
An unexpected debate about translation and cultural interpretations of English profanity has ignited in Spain after Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was sent off for verbally abusing a referee .
Monday's mainstream TV shows, radio phone-ins and the front pages of newspapers and major websites wrestled with the concept of Bellingham's novel defence that he did not shout "fuck you" at the official, but merely "fuck off".
Bellingham, 21, was shown a red card in the 1-1 draw at Osasuna in LaLiga as referee Jose Munuera Montero believed the England forward directed the foul language at him. However, Bellingham and his coach Carlo Ancelotti said the official was mistaken.
"I'm an English player and when I speak on the pitch it's normal that I use expressions that come naturally to me in English," Bellingham told reporters on Saturday.
"There was no insult, you can see in the video right away, it was an expression to myself, I'm not even directing myself towards the referee. But obviously there was a misunderstanding. He's believed I've said it to him.
"I've seen the video and it doesn't match the referee´s report. I hope that the footage will be reviewed and see that it's not the same as the report."
Ancelotti, who managed in England with Chelsea and Everton, backed his player's defence. "I think the referee misunderstood Bellingham's English. The translation is not the same and I don't think it's offensive at all," he said.
"The red card comes out of the referee's nervousness. Bellingham has done nothing to be sent off. Absolutely nothing."
In the Premier League, players routinely use strong language when decisions go against them, and punishments are uncommon.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick took a different view when asked about the incident: "It is a lack of respect in any situation," said the German.
The forward could be facing a four to 12-game ban for "insulting, offending, or addressing the main referee, assistants, fourth official, directors, or sports authorities in offensive terms or attitudes".
Bellingham added: "What you have to understand is that there is a lot of emotion on the pitch and these details can cost you games.
"That emotion may not give the best of you, but I don't think that's the case, I've been calm and you can see it with lip reading, it's not what it says on the record. I'm calm, because I know I've only said an expression to myself that I've said since I was 16 or 17 years old."
While many observers will be bemused by Bellingham's defence, the player can point to a recent case that could work in his favour.
Last season, Getafe successfully overturned English striker Mason Greenwood's sending off in a match against Rayo Vallecano for an almost identical misunderstanding.
1. What are the best phrases to use to express the following:
-Surpise:
-Something incredulous:
-A beautiful painting or scenery:
-Apology for being late :
-An amazing weekend :
-The relief you feel because it´s Friday :
-When something is beneficial but can also be harmful :
- When the times has passed quickly:
2.Vocabulary
15. | bemused | a. | a type of language that includes dirty words |
16. | novel | b. | struggle with a difficulty or problem. |
17. | profanity | c. | abolish, invalidate, or reverse a previous system, decision, situation |
18. | report | d. | interestingly new or unusual. |
19. | footage | e. | film or videotape that shows a single event or place |
20. | wrestled | f. | something that can be confusing and with a bit of irony |
21. | overturned | g. | an account given of a particular matter, especially in the form of an official document, after thorough investigation or consideration by an appointed person or body. |
- sent off
- merely
- backed
- pitch
- mainstream
- foul language
- draw
- ignited
- supported/ got behind
- conventional
- field
- banish
- vulgarity
- only
- tie
- erupted
4.Role play: Choose one of these options as the best way to blow off some steam when you´re angry
Role A – Yell |
Role B – Throw a bunch of pillows |
Role C – Eat Ice Cream |
Role D – Put loud music Role F - Angry clean something Role G- Heckle the TV Role H - Troll people online Role I - Something not on the list 5. Fill In The Blanks: 1. If you are angry with something, you are ¨up in ¨. 2. If you were close with someone and had a fight and stopped talking, you had a . 3. If your neighbours are always loud and making noise, especially at night when you trying to sleep, you are very with the situation. 4. What is the type of anger someone feels when they are stuck in traffic ? 5. If you are in your car and the person in front of you is driving very slow, then you decide to your horn so the car in front drives faster or moves for you. 6. If you hate when people are late, then being late for you is . 7. Last year when Madrid won the Champions League, you were very angry. You could say: ¨I saw ¨. 8. The day I prepared this lesson, Thursday February 27, Barca and Madrid were both on top of La Liga table with 54 points. They were both with 54 points . 9. If you think Bellingham is trying to escape punishment for his actions, then he is trying to . 10. If you think the ref is makig a big deal about the situation, then he is OR he is the situation out of proportion. 11. If Bellingham must pay a fee as a punishment for his actions, then he must pay a . 12. Real Madrid is Barcelona´s . 13. If this season, Barcelina wins La Liga and Madrid is number 2, then Madrid is the . 14. While the city of Barcelona has 2 teams in La Liga, Espanyol is often by Barca, since Barca gets most of the attention. 15. Last year, the football team of Girona was seen as a young team that had potential to become great in the future. They were seen as an team. 16. Deportivo de La Coruña however, was a team that was very strong in the past but now are considered to be quite weak. They are considered to be a . |
6.Discussion
- Is Bellingham guilty or innocent? Do you think the referee overreacted?
- Have you ever had a similar misunderstanding in a foreign language?
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