Soccer
Report: Real Madrid Board Concerned About Jude Bellingham Situation
Members of the Real Madrid board are reportedly concerned about Carlo Ancelotti’s erratic deployment of ‘Galactico’ midfielder Jude Bellingham. They believe the Englishman has been one of the biggest losers under Ancelotti this season.
Jude Bellingham Has Lost His Spark
Real Madrid paid a hefty €113 million ($121.6 million) fee to sign Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in July 2023. With Karim Benzema gone, manager Ancelotti deployed Bellingham as an attacking-midfielder/center-forward hybrid, permitting him to set up camp in the opposition third.
The bold move paid off, as Bellingham emerged as one of Los Blancos’ most clinical players, chipping in with 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 games in all competitions. His goal contributions proved critical as Madrid won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and the Supercopa de Espana.
In July 2024, Real Madrid welcomed Kylian Mbappe to the club, hoping he would add a new dimension to the already excellent attack. Unfortunately for the club, things have not gone according to plan, with Mbappe struggling to thrive as a center-forward. Mbappe’s arrival has also had a massive impact on Bellingham, who has had to drop to a deeper role in midfield.
The 21-year-old still makes runs into the box, but he has yet to reap the rewards, with Bellingham still waiting for his first goal after playing 12 games across competitions.
Real Madrid Board Is Concerned About Jude Bellingham
According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Bellingham has become a source of concern for members of the Real Madrid board. They believe his current situation under Ancelotti is unknown, unhinged, and misguided. Bellingham is now seen as one of the biggest losers in the team, as he does not have a fixed position in Ancelotti’s lineup. The former Borussia Dortmund man plays in almost every game but is failing to excel due to the constant shuffling of positions.
As a team, Real Madrid has yet to fire this season. The reigning Spanish champions are in second place in La Liga rankings, sitting nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona. They are in an even poorer position in the UEFA Champions League standings, toiling in 18th place after four matches.
Having suffered two big defeats in their last two games (4-0 against Barcelona, 3-1 against AC Milan), Real Madrid will be eager to return to winning ways when they take on CA Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday, November 9.