27 February 2024 , 08:55
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Mason Greenwood doesn't want to see Jude Bellingham punished despite allegedly calling him a 'rapist' during a match.
Bellingham, 20, is accused of aiming the slur towards Manchester United loanee Greenwood when Real Madrid travelled across the Spanish capital to face Getafe in La Liga earlier this month. Greenwood, who is spending the current season on loan at Madrid-based side Getafe, had charges of attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023.
During Real Madrid's 2-0 win, Bellingham tackled the United academy product and an expert lip reader believes footage of an on-field altercation shows that the England international called Greenwood a 'rapist'. Following Bellingham's alleged slur, Getafe asked referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea to note the allegation in his match report.
Spanish football chiefs promptly launched an investigation, but it's now claimed that Greenwood wants the probe dropped. The 22-year-old is keen to keep the attention on his football, despite being 'very upset' at the time and surprised that it came from Bellingham.
A source told The Sun: “Mason has told them he doesn't want Jude to be punished and has asked them to drop it. He doesn't want bad publicity and wants to get on with playing football. He was very upset at the time as he didn’t expect it from someone like Jude.
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"But he knows he's always likely to be a target for that kind of stuff so he's accepted he'll need a thick skin."
Greenwood still has a contract with United which runs until the end of next season. New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says that the club with make a fresh decision on his future this summer.
"We will make a decision, correct," Ratcliffe told a pool of reporters last week. "All I can do is talk about the principle of how we will approach decisions like that. Is he the right type of footballer, are we happy with if is he a good person or not? He's a Manchester United footballer, so we are in charge of football.
Jude Bellingham is claimed to have said the slur after tackling Mason Greenwood (PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images)"So the answer is, 'Yeah, we have to make decisions. It's quite clear we have to make a decision. There is no decision that's been made. He's on loan obviously, but he's not the only one. We've got one or two footballers that we have to deal with and we have to make a decision on, so we will do that.
"The process will be: understand the facts not the hype, and then try and come to fair decision on the basis of values, which is basically is he a good guy or not? Could he play sincerely for Manchester United well, would we be comfortable with it and would the fans be comfortable with it?"
United could opt to sell Greenwood, with interest reportedly coming from Getafe, Barcelona and a host of other Spanish clubs.