It was unattainable to know what Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham said when he addressed Harry Kane because the Bayern Munich striker prepared to take a penalty in Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final first leg.
Whatever the precise words were, Bellingham was not possible to wish his international teammate good luck and referee Clement Turpin needed to intervene to inform the midfielder to get out of the best way.
Not that Kane was overly concerned. In his first post-match interview with TNT Sport, the sport's British broadcaster, the England captain said he had not heard what Bellingham said. Only after the ultimate whistle did Bellingham reveal every little thing.
“I talked to him afterward and he said, 'I know you're going to go to the left of the goalie,'” Kane said. “But it was nice for me because I saw the goalkeeper leave a little early and I put that away.”
Nothing would stop Harry Kane from achieving his goal 😤 pic.twitter.com/mR05vjxCPH
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2024
It was hardly inflammatory material and it’s unlikely that there will probably be any lasting rancor between two players who had warmly greeted one another before kick-off. But the contrast between the image of Bellingham whispering in Kane's ear to offer his club a bonus and the image of him putting his arm around the identical player shortly after scoring an important late penalty against France in England's 2022 World Cup The defeat within the quarterfinals couldn't have been greater.
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They also speak to 2 sides of Bellingham's personality, each of which were evident in his debut season in Spain. There was never any doubt concerning the strength of character – his penchant for scoring late goals, including within the two La Liga Clasicos against Barcelona, is proof of that.
While Bellingham clearly enjoyed the eye of his latest club's fans, he was also praised for being within the highlight: Take, for instance, his instruction to fans to applaud Fede Valverde for pushing him for a goal against Osasuna in October has prepared.
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The following month he also provided a really unselfish assist for striker Joselu after which explained that he desired to help a teammate who was going through a difficult patch in front of goal.
This looked like exceptional emotional intelligence and private maturity and helped make Bellingham phenomenally popular with Madrid's players and fans alike.
His gesture towards Kane after the penalty within the World Cup quarter-finals was also significant. Bellingham – then just 19 years old – was the one player within the England team to console his captain after he didn’t equalize within the 84th minute of the 2-1 defeat, and that showed a maturity that transcended him years went beyond.
Jude Bellingham comforts Harry Kane (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The downside, nevertheless, is that Bellingham can come near the limit and even exceed it even when things aren't going well for him personally or for his team.
This was already evident during his time at his former club Borussia Dortmund, when Bellingham famously felt that some teammates weren’t living as much as his own high standards – particularly once they squandered an ideal probability to win the German championship in May last yr.
Bellingham's patience with the Spanish referees also quickly wore thin. He felt he was not receiving adequate protection as defenders used all possible methods to limit his influence on games.
In six games in January and February, he received 4 yellow cards, mostly for dissent or “revenge” fouls, and served a penalty for accumulating yellow cards. Then got here his most high-profile clash with officialdom when he received a red card for indignant protests after referee Jesus Gil Manzano blew the full-time whistle just as he thought he had one other late start in a La Liga game against Valencia To have scored the winning goal March.
Bellingham was still fuming as he left the pitch that evening, quickly posting an Instagram message that said: “The referee was literally waiting for Brahim Diaz to cross the ball! THIS IS A SCANDAL.” He quickly removed this message from his account, but was still banned for 3 games.
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There was also the incident when Madrid played neighbors Getafe in early February and Bellingham clashed with compatriot Mason Greenwood during a bad-tempered game against a physical team.
Getafe claimed Bellingham made an “insulting remark” towards Greenwood, who joined the La Liga club on loan from Manchester United at the top of last summer's transfer window. Greenwood saw charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control dropped by Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in February 2023. He denied all alleged crimes.
After a lip reader was consulted, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said no credible evidence had been found of what Bellingham allegedly said to Greenwood and the case was dismissed.
Bellingham received full support from Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti and the club's hierarchy following the incidents at Greenwood and Mestalla, and everybody on the Bernabeu was wanting to take care of their latest rising superstar.
Fans of the club also won't be apprehensive about signs that he's a sore loser, and even his penchant for playfulness. Both fit perfectly with Madrid's self-image as a spot where winning is crucial thing (even when this contradicts the “gentlemanly” values in addition they boast about).
Jude Bellingham doesn't lack confidence (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Bellingham's profession has been in full swing thus far – from being named Birmingham City's youngest first-team player just after his sixteenth birthday, to becoming the most costly 17-year-old in history to maneuver to Germany, where he won two international appearances Tournaments for England As a young person, he had a sensational start in Madrid.
All of this brings attention and pressure. Above all, Bellingham has shown that he can handle it and switch whatever he feels into spectacular performances and moments for his team. However, for all his many talents, he isn’t any Superman and there have been signs these days that he’s feeling the strain of his incredible first season in Spain.
He struggled to say himself within the last two Champions League quarter-final games against Manchester City. And while he won the El Clasico within the last minute ten days ago, things were quiet again last night in his first game in Germany since leaving Dortmund.
“Jude didn't give his best today but he will be back very soon,” said Ancelotti, who also revealed that Bellingham had been withdrawn as a result of cramps. “By Wednesday (second leg at the Bernabeu next week) he will be at 100 percent.”
Could Bellingham's character result in behavior that could possibly be higher controlled? Perhaps. And putting your national captain in a Champions League semi-final might be not the neatest idea.
But if Bellingham's profession has taught us anything, it's that he'll do things his way.
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image credit : theathletic.com