It was impossible to know what Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham said when 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 words, Bellingham was highly unlikely to wish his international teammate good luck, and referee Clement Turpin had to intervene to tell the midfielder to get out of the way.
Not that Kane was overly concerned. In his initial post-match interview with TNT Sport, the match’s British broadcaster, the England captain said he had not heard what Bellingham said. It was only after the final whistle that Bellingham revealed all.
“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 good for me because I saw the goalkeeper leave a little earlier and I put him away.”
Nothing would distract Harry Kane from achieving his goal 😤 pic.twitter.com/mR05vjxCPH
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2024
It was hardly incendiary stuff, and it is unlikely there will be any lasting rancor between two players who greeted each other warmly before kick-off. Yet the contrast between the image of Bellingham whispering in Kane’s ear in an attempt to gain an advantage for his club and the image of him embracing the same player moments after missing a crucial penalty against France in the Cup of the 2022 English World Cup The defeat in the quarter-finals could not have been bigger.
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They also speak to two sides of Bellingham’s personality, both evident in what is his debut season in Spain. There has never been any doubt about his strength of character: his propensity for late goals, including in both La Liga Clasicos against Barcelona, is testament to this.
While he clearly appreciates the attention coming from his new club’s fans, Bellingham has also been praised for sharing the limelight: take, for example, his instructions to fans to applaud Fede Valverde for setting him up to score against Osasuna in October.
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The following month he also provided a very unselfish assist to striker Joselu, later explaining that he wanted to help a teammate who was having a difficult time in front of goal.
This showed exceptional emotional intelligence and personal maturity and helped make Bellingham extraordinarily popular with both players and fans of Real Madrid.
His gesture towards Kane after the World Cup quarter-final penalty was also significant. Bellingham – then just 19 – was the only member of the England squad to console his captain after failing to equalize in the 84th minute of what ended in a 2-1 defeat, and showed maturity beyond his age.
The flip side, however, is that Bellingham can also get close to the limit – or even exceed it – when things aren’t going so well for either him or his team.
This had already been reported during his time at previous club Borussia Dortmund, when Bellingham was known to feel that some teammates did not reach his own high standards, especially when they had squandered a great chance to win the German title last May year.
Bellingham’s patience with the Spanish referees also ran out quite quickly. He felt he was not receiving enough protection as the defenders used all possible methods to limit his influence on the matches.
He received four yellow cards in six matches between January and February, mostly for dissent or “revenge” fouls, which serve as punishment for accumulating yellow cards. Then came his biggest brush with officialdom, when he was sent off for furious protests after referee Jesus Gil Manzano blew his whistle at full-time just as he thought he had scored another late winner in a La Liga match against Valencia at the start. March.
Bellingham was still fuming when he left the pitch that night, quickly reposting a message on Instagram that read: “The referee literally waited for Brahim Diaz to cross the ball! “THIS IS A SCANDAL.” He quickly removed that message from his account, but was still banned for three games.
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There was also the incident where Real faced neighbors Getafe in early February, and Bellingham clashed with fellow Englishman Mason Greenwood, during a bad-tempered game against a physical team.
Getafe claimed Bellingham had made an “insulting comment” to Greenwood, who joined the La Liga club on a season-long loan from Manchester United at the end of last summer’s transfer window. Greenwood had had charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control dropped by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in February 2023. He has denied all alleged offences.
After consulting a lip reader, the Spanish FA (RFEF) said that no credible evidence had been found of what Bellingham allegedly said to Greenwood and the case was dropped.
Bellingham received the full support of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and the club’s hierarchy following the Greenwood and Mestalla incidents, and everyone at the Bernabeu was keen to look after their latest emerging superstar.
Furthermore, fans of the club will not be concerned about any signs of being a bad loser, or even his taste for skill in the game. Both fit perfectly with Real Madrid’s image of themselves as a place where winning is the most important thing (even if it goes against the “gentlemanly” values they pride themselves on).
Bellingham’s career so far has been at great speed: 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 in history, playing for England in two tournaments internationals while still a teenager, and now he is making such a sensational start with Real Madrid.
All of this brings attention and pressure. Bellingham has shown that he knows how to manage the situation and channel everything he feels into spectacular performances and moments for his team. However, for all his many talents, he is no Superman, and lately there have been signs that he is feeling the strains of his incredible first season in Spain.
He struggled to make an impact during the two Champions League quarter-final matches against Manchester City. And while he followed the last-gasp El Clasico victory 10 days ago, last night he was quiet again in his first match in Germany since leaving Dortmund.
“Jude didn’t play his best today, but he’ll be back very soon,” said Ancelotti, who also revealed that Bellingham had been withdrawn because he was suffering from cramps. On Wednesday he will be 100% (next week there will be the return match at the Bernabeu).”
Could Bellingham’s temper lead to behavior that could be better controlled? Perhaps. And hosting your national team captain in a Champions League semi-final is probably not the wisest idea.
But if Bellingham’s career has taught us anything, it’s that he will do things his own way.
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(Top photo: TNT Sports and Getty Images)