"Scandal" report protects Real Madrid duo from sanctions

The referee of the Real Madrid v Valencia match ignores accusations against Bellingham and Rüdiger

Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday, in matchday 12 of La Liga.

True to form on Los Blancos' trips to Valencia's turf, the game came with its share of controversy and tension.

According to Sport, the most striking flashpoint played out inside the dressing room tunnel during the half-time break, with Jude Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger at the centre of it.

Journalists in the area explained that players and members of both coaching staffs became embroiled in an altercation that also drew in Valencia's security staff.

Those same journalists claim Bellingham is suspected of striking one of the security personnel, while Rudiger is suspected of slapping another.

The two men who were assaulted then went to the match referee, Hernandez Maeso, demanding he record the incident and document the assaults in his report. That never happened.

For that reason, the newspaper "Super Deporte" branded Hernandez Maeso's report "the report of shame", arguing that the failure to mention the conduct of Real Madrid's players spares them any kind of sanction.

The report did, however, cover another incident, this one starring Valencia's sporting director, Braulio Vazquez. Hernandez Maeso's wording read as follows: "During the half-time break, Valencia's sporting director, Braulio Jesus Vazquez Benitez, was present in the dressing room tunnel, where he caused an altercation, and the matter reached the point of him entering into a confrontation with the first assistant referee, whom he addressed repeatedly in an angry tone, saying it's not a foul, it's not a foul! What a ridiculous thing".

National Police officers had to step in, identifying Vazquez before taking hold of him and removing him from the area to bring the incident to an end.