Real Madrid forward reveals what he said to referee leading to red card vs Benfica – ‘Unbelievable’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid have been without star forward Rodrygo Goes for several games now, with the Brazilian attacker dealing with an injury, while also serving a two-match suspension in the UEFA Champions League.

The suspension came about because of a red card he received in the final match of the UEFA Champions League league phase against Benfica – the same opponent he would later miss out against in the playoff round.

What happened?

The Brazilian was sent off in the dying minutes of that chaotic match in Lisbon, a game that ended 3-2 and left Real Madrid outside the top eight.

With Los Blancos chasing an equaliser, Rodrygo protested to the referee about the added time, especially over what he considered exaggerated time-wasting by Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

After an animated complaint, the referee showed him a yellow card. The 25-year-old attacker then reacted again, and that led to his dismissal, which subsequently earned him a two-match ban.

Rodrygo sheds light on red card

Rodrygo was sent off against Benfica in January. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

Now, Rodrygo has opened up about the reason behind his suspension against Benfica in a conversation on the Brazilian YouTube channel Lives do Jon (h/t MARCA).

The Real Madrid forward confirmed that he was fit to play in the second leg against Benfica on Wednesday before revealing what he had said to the referee that led to his sending-off.

“I’m no longer injured, I was already ready to play the second leg. I was suspended because I complained to the referee,” Rodrygo stated.

“I asked him for one more minute and he gave me a yellow card. Then I said, ‘you’re joking,’ and they gave me a two-match suspension for that. It was unbelievable,” he added.

Real Madrid could have certainly benefitted from Rodrygo’s presence, especially in the second leg, given that Kylian Mbappe also got injured and missed the game.

In the end, though, Alvaro Arbeloa’s men got the job done, securing a 3-1 aggregate win over Benfica to seal their place in the Champions League Round of 16.

As for Rodrygo, he is all set to return to action next Monday when Real Madrid face Getafe.