Find out what Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham said when he approached Harry Kane as the Bayern Munich striker was preparing to take a penalty in Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final first leg That was impossible.
Whatever the exact words, it is unlikely that Bellingham was wishing his international team-mates the best of luck, and referee Clement Turpin had to intervene and instruct the midfielder to get out of the way.
Not that Kane was overly worried. “I don't know what he said, to be honest,” the England captain told British broadcaster TNT Sports. “I was in that moment. I'm sure he was trying to say something to bring me down.”
Nothing could get in the way of Harry Kane's goal 😤 pic.twitter.com/mR05vjxCPH
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2024
There is unlikely to be any lasting grudge between the two players, who greeted each other warmly before kick-off. However, the image of Bellingham whispering in Kane's ear to give the club an advantage, and the image of Bellingham putting his arm around the same player immediately after missing a decisive penalty late in England's 2022 World Cup match against France. The contrast with the figure was stunning. The loss in the quarterfinals could not have been worse.
They also speak to two sides of Bellingham's personality, both of which were clearly on display in his debut season in Spain. There has never been any question as to his strength of character. His penchant for scoring late goals is evidence of this, including in La Liga's Clasico against Barcelona.
While Bellingham clearly enjoys the attention from his new club's fans, he has also been praised for sharing the spotlight. Take, for example, when he told fans to praise Fede Valverde for sparking the goal against Osasuna in October.
even deeper
Vinicius Junior is a game-changer on the big stage for Real Madrid – with a twist
The following month, he made a very unselfish assist to striker Josel, explaining afterwards that he wanted to help his team-mate who was having a difficult time in front of goal.
This appeared to be an extraordinary mental intelligence and personal maturity, and helped Bellingham gain tremendous popularity with both Madrid players and supporters.
His gesture towards Kane after the penalty in the World Cup quarter-finals was also significant. Bellingham, 19 at the time, was the only player in the England side to console the captain after he failed to score an equalizer in the 84th minute of a 2-1 defeat, which speaks to his maturity beyond his years. was.
Jude Bellingham comforts Harry Kane (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
But the flip side of all this is that Bellingham sometimes approaches or even crosses the line when things aren't going too well for him personally or for the team.
That was already foreshadowed during his time at former club Borussia Dortmund, where Bellingham was known to have felt that some team-mates were not living up to his high standards – particularly last May. Such was the case when he threw away a great chance to win the German title.
Bellingham's patience with the Spanish referee quickly wore thin. He felt he didn't have enough protection as defenders did everything they could to limit his influence on the game.
He received four yellow cards in six games from January to February, most of them for dissent or “revenge” fouls, punishment for accumulated warnings. And his most high-profile clash with officials came early in the La Liga game against Valencia, just as he thought he had scored another winning goal in the final stages, when referee Jesús Gil Manzano called for a full-time goal. This happened when he was given a red card after a fierce protest for blowing the whistle. march.
Bellingham was still furious after leaving the field that night and quickly reposted the following message on Instagram: “The referee was literally waiting for Brahim Díaz's cross!” This is a scandal. ” He quickly deleted the message from his account, but still received a three-game suspension.
even deeper
Jude Bellingham is different – a portrait of Real Madrid's new superstar
There was also an incident in early February when Bellingham collided with fellow English player Mason Greenwood during a grueling match against a physical side when Madrid faced neighboring Getafe.
Getafe claimed Bellingham made “offensive comments” towards Greenwood, who joined the La Liga club on a season-long loan from Manchester United at the end of last summer's transfer window. Mr Greenwood saw charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in February 2023, all of which he denied.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which consulted Lip Reading, announced that it had found no reliable evidence of what Bellingham allegedly said to Greenwood, and the case was dismissed.
Bellingham had the full support of Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti and club executives after the Greenwood and Mestalla incidents, and everyone at the Bernabéu was keen to look after their latest emerging superstar.
Fans of the club don't have to worry about any signs of him being a bad loser or even his penchant for gamesmanship. Both fit perfectly into Madrid's self-image, where winning is where it matters most (even if it goes against the “gentlemanly” values they pride themselves on).
Jude Bellingham hasn't lost confidence (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Bellingham's career has been at breakneck speed so far, becoming Birmingham City's youngest first-team player just past his 16th birthday, moving to Germany as the most expensive 17-year-old in history, and making two appearances for England while still at school. He played in two international tournaments. The teenager is currently off to a sensational start to life in Madrid.
All of this brings attention and pressure. Bellingham has mostly shown that he can handle it and turn what he's feeling into great performances and moments for the team. Yet, despite his many talents, he is no superman and there have been signs recently that he is feeling the strain of an excellent first season in Spain.
He failed to make an impact in the two recent Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester City. And they followed that up with a last-gasp El Clasico win 10 days ago, but were quiet again last night in their first game in Germany since leaving Dortmund.
“Jude didn't play his best today, but he'll be back soon,'' Ancelotti said, adding that Bellingham had been absent because he was suffering from spasms. “By Wednesday (next week's second leg at the Bernabéu) he will be 100 percent.”
Is it possible that Bellingham's personality could lead to behavior that could be better controlled? Maybe. And calling up the national team captain for the Champions League semi-finals is probably not the smartest idea.
But if Bellingham's career has taught us anything, it's that he does things his way.
even deeper
Infuriating, embarrassing, and funny: What players actually think about “shit housing”
(Top photo: TNT Sports and Getty Images)
