Getafe boss defends 'exemplary' Greenwood after alleged Bellingham slur

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 3 Feb 2024 18:57 GMT
• 3 min read

Getafe manager Jose Bordalas has defended Mason Greenwood after the on-loan Manchester United winger was subjected to what appeared to be verbal abuse from compatriot Jude Bellingham.

Real Madrid beat Getafe, 2-0 on Thursday night in their LaLiga clash at the Coliseum with two goals from Joselu. But the game’s major talking point transpired after Bellingham and Greenwood clashed on the touchline.

After Bellingham won the ball in a challenge, he appeared to direct the word “rapist” at Greenwood. While the 22-year-old was charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and controlling and coercive behaviour in October 2022, those charges were dropped in February 2023.

Getafe filed Bellingham complaint

The club have subsequently filed a complaint with LaLiga over the alleged comments from Bellingham.

"Yesterday, Getafe filed a formal complaint with the LaLiga match director who, as per standard procedure in such cases, has requested an expert lip-reading report to investigate the matter and act based on hard evidence,” a LaLiga statement read on Friday.

And ahead of Getafe’s league game against Real Betis on Sunday, the manager faced the media and addressed the controversy, calling for “respect” for his No.12 and praising him for his “exemplary behaviour”.

“I know the same thing that you know,” he told reporters. “It’s not up to me, it’s the club, La Liga and the Federation that have to make an assessment about it.

“The only thing that I can say is that I ask for respect from Mason Greenwood because he is a great guy. He is a man who respects everyone and has exemplary behaviour.”

Amid the fallout of the Greenwood case being dropped, Man United opted to part ways with the player mutually and he sought a loan deal away from Old Trafford.

Bordalas claimed back in September that Bellingham had played a part in getting his fellow Englishman a loan move to LaLiga, comments which were later walked back.

“That has already been clarified, what I said months ago was a misunderstanding,” he said on Saturday.

Greenwood has been in good form for Getafe in LaLiga, scoring four times and assisting four more in 18 appearances, and has been linked with a move at the end of the season to Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.