Real Madrid stars Rüdiger and Bellingham face serious allegations of slapping security staff in tunnel during 3-0 win at Valencia

Soccer Football – LaLiga – Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – March 22, 2026 Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger celebrate after the match REUTERS/Ana Beltran Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Valencia at the Mestalla was overshadowed by reports of a violent confrontation in the dressing room tunnel at half-time, with Antonio Rüdiger and Jude Bellingham accused of striking members of the security staff. The allegations, reported by Spanish journalist Nacho Sánchez, were not confirmed by the referee’s published report, which made no mention of any players being involved in the assault.

Rüdiger and Bellingham accused of security workers’ strike

Tensions between the two teams had already risen during a heated first half on Saturday, November 7, before a confrontation reportedly broke out as the players left for the changing rooms. Spanish newspaper Sport reported: “After referee Hernandez Maeso blew the whistle for the end of the first half and directed the players to the locker room tunnel, a very violent altercation broke out off camera.”According to journalist Nacho Sánchez of À Punt, Bellingham and Rüdiger were among Real Madrid’s most committed players. Sánchez claimed the England international punched a security guard, while Rüdiger slapped another member of the security staff.“Here are more details about the altercation that took place in the dressing room tunnel. Bellingham attacked the security guard with a punch and Rudiger slapped another security guard. The security staff went to the referee who recorded everything that happened,” said Sánchez.He added: “This incident is expected to appear in the referee’s post-match report as he was briefed by security staff on what happened and he noted all the details.”Reports also suggested that Bellingham and Éder Militão exchanged provocative remarks with Valencia players as they entered the tunnel, which contributed to the confrontation. Sánchez’s account suggested that the referee was alerted to the alleged incidents by security staff.

The referee’s report does not mention the alleged assaults

However, the referee’s published report complicated the accounting of what happened. According to The world of sportsThe report documented an altercation with Valencia sporting director Braulio Vázquez, who allegedly approached the referee and his assistant in an agitated manner. It also referred to police intervention.Neither Bellingham nor Rüdiger were identified in the report as the perpetrators of the assault on the security staff member. This differs from Sánchez’s account of the incident, which stated that security staff informed the referee of the alleged strikes and that he recorded the details.Due to the limited information and unverified allegations available at the time of writing, further investigation may be required.

Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 at the Mestalla

The tunnel dispute followed a match already marred by questionable decisions and confrontations. Real Madrid’s opening goal came in the 28th minute, when Federico Valverde hit a powerful strike from outside the penalty area. The goal followed a free-kick decision that angered the Valencia players, who questioned the referee’s decision in the play-off.Arda Güler doubled Real Madrid’s lead eight minutes later when he finished from close range after Bellingham took a favorable deflection. Güler then switched providers in the second half and set up Kylian Mbappé, who rounded the goalkeeper to make it 3-0.

Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, left, celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

The afternoon in Valencia took a further turn for the worse when captain José Gayà was sent off for bringing down Mbappé as the French striker raced towards goal.The win extended Real Madrid’s winning streak to eight games across all competitions and moved them level with Barcelona on 30 points at the top of La Liga. Valencia remained in the relegation zone.Real Madrid left Mestalla with three points, but allegations surrounding the half-time confrontation shifted focus to the tunnel incident, with Sánchez’s accounts and the referee’s published report leaving important questions about the involvement of Bellingham and Rüdiger unresolved.