There’s no way of knowing what Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham said as he approached Harry Kane as the Bayern Munich striker prepared to take a penalty in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night.
Whatever the precise wording, it was unlikely that Bellingham wished his international team-mates good luck and referee Clement Turpin had to step in to tell the midfielder to get out of the way.
Kane isn’t overly worried. In his first post-match interview with British match broadcaster TNT Sport, the England captain said he did not hear what Bellingham said. Bellingham didn’t reveal anything until after the final whistle.
“I spoke to him afterwards and he said: ‘I know you’re going to the left of the goalkeeper’,” Kane said. “But it was good for me because I saw the goalkeeper go a little early and I put it away.”
Nothing can stop Harry Kane from achieving his goal 😤 pic.twitter.com/mR05vjxCPH
— Football on TNT Sports Network (@footballontnt) April 30, 2024
It wasn’t anything inflammatory, nor was there likely to be any lasting bad blood between the two players who greeted each other warmly before kick-off. However, the image of Bellingham whispering in Kane’s ear as he works to gain an advantage for the club contrasts with the image of him putting his arm around the same player immediately after missing a crucial penalty against France at the 2022 World Cup in England. The defeat in the quarter-finals was really disastrous.
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They also spoke of two aspects of Bellingham’s character, both of which were evident in his first season in Spain. There was never any doubt about his strength of character – as evidenced by his penchant for late goals, including in both La Liga Clasicos against Barcelona.
Bellingham clearly relishes the attention from his new club’s fans, but he’s also been praised for sharing the spotlight: for example, he instructed fans to applaud Fede Valverde as he played against Osasuna in October Help him score goals.
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The following month, he also provided a very selfless assist to forward Joselu, later explaining that he wanted to help a teammate who was going through a tough time in front of goal.
This looks like exceptional emotional intelligence and personal maturity and has helped Bellingham become extremely popular among Madrid players and fans.
His gesture to Kane after the World Cup quarter-final penalty was also significant. Bellingham, just 19 at the time, was the only player to console his captain when England failed to equalize in the 84th minute and eventually lost 2-1, showing he was more mature than his peers.
Jude Bellingham consoles Harry Kane (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The flip side of all this, however, is that Bellingham can also get close to the line, or even over it, when things aren’t going well for him personally or for his team.
This was evident during his time at former club Borussia Dortmund, when Bellingham felt some teammates were not living up to his own high standards, especially when they spurned a golden opportunity to win the German title last May.
Bellingham’s patience with the Spanish referee also quickly ran out. He felt like he wasn’t protected enough as defenders did everything they could to limit his impact on the game.
In six games in January and February, he picked up four yellow cards, mainly for dissent or “retaliation” fouls, which are penalties for accumulated yellow cards. His most high-profile clash with officials then came when referee Jesus Gil Manzano whistled for what he thought was another late winner against Valencia in La Liga. The whistle blew and he was sent off for an angry protest.
Still furious as he left the field that night, Bellingham quickly retweeted a message on Instagram, which read: “The referee was actually waiting for Brahim Diaz to pass the ball! That’s a Scandal. He quickly deleted the message from his account, but he was still suspended for three games.
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Another incident occurred during Real Madrid’s match against neighbors Getafe in early February, when Bellingham clashed with fellow Englishman Mason Greenwood in a bad-tempered match.
Getafe claim 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. In February 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped charges of attempted rape, assault and forcible control against Greenwood.
After consulting a lip reader, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said it found no credible evidence of what Bellingham allegedly said to Greenwood and the case was dismissed.
Bellingham has the full support of Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and the club’s hierarchy following the events at Greenwood and the Mestalla, with everyone at the Bernabeu keen to look after their latest superstar.
Nor will fans of the club be concerned about any sign of a loser, or even his taste for gamesmanship. Both fit perfectly with Madrid’s self-image, in which winning is the most important thing (even if it goes against their vaunted “gentlemanly” values).
Jude Bellingham doesn’t lack for confidence (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Bellingham’s career has been meteoric so far – from becoming Birmingham City’s youngest first-team player just after his 16th birthday, to moving to Germany as the most expensive 17-year-old player in history. Participated in two international matches while still playing for England.
It all brings attention and stress. Bellingham has proven he can handle it all and translate his feelings into great performances and moments for the team. Still, despite his talent, he is no superman and there have been recent signs that he is feeling the pressure during an incredible first season in Spain.
He has struggled in the last two Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester City. Despite scoring a late El Clasico winner ten days ago, he was silent again last night in his first game in Germany since leaving Dortmund.
“Jude was not at his best today but he will be back soon,” said Ancelotti, who also revealed that Bellingham had withdrawn due to cramps. “He will be back to 100 per cent by Wednesday (next week’s second leg at the Bernabeu).”
Could Bellingham’s character lead to better controlled behavior? perhaps. Asking your national team captain to play in the Champions League semi-finals might not be the smartest idea.
But if Bellingham’s career has taught us anything, it’s that he does things his own way.
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(Top Photos: TNT Sports and Getty Images)
