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Lip-reader reveals what Jude Bellingham 'really said' to Mason Greenwood
Getafe have reported Jude Bellingham to La Liga over an alleged slur aimed at Mason Greenwood.
An expert lip-reader is '97 per cent sure' that Jude Bellingham used a shocking insult towards Mason Greenwood during Real Madrid's victory over Getafe on Thursday night. It was claimed that Bellingham had been reported to La Liga officials after the final whistle after allegedly calling Greenwood a 'rapist'.
The alleged incident occurred when Bellingham tackled Greenwood close to the touchline before he was spotted by TV cameras saying a two-syllable word towards the Getafe striker. However, the audio did not pick up exactly what was said and it remains to be seen if further action will be taken by La Liga officials and if any slur was uttered.
Expert witness and forensic lip-reader Jeremy Freeman has since offered his thoughts on the matter, telling the Daily Mail: "After carefully analysing the clip, I am 97 per cent confident that the spoken word is 'rapist', particularly when considering the context in which it was used.
"The visual cues of the lips indicate the presence of the 'R' and 'P' sounds, and the word appears to end sharply. Additionally, the speaker seems to have a pronounced Brummie accent, which I factored into my interpretation."
Express Sport have approached Real Madrid and Bellingham's representatives for comment.
Greenwood was loaned to Getafe in the summer after charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault were dropped last February. Manchester United decided to ship him out in response to a strong public backlash after conducting their own internal investigation.
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According to Cadena SER, Getafe asked for Bellingham's alleged comment to be included in the match report and for the matter to be investigated. It is said they have also requested that La Liga 'take appropriate measures' if Bellingham is found to have said the alleged slur.
Former La Liga referee Iturralde Gonzalez explained that Bellingham may face punishment if he is found to have called Greenwood a 'rapist', saying: "You can be sanctioned if you really say that, but if Getafe wants to defend its player, what it can do is take the case to the Competition Committee.
"The league will do what it has to do, but they can appear at the Competition Committee with those images and accuse him of what he said."
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