New Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has settled instantly at the Santiago Bernabeu, but surprisingly, his old Borussia Dortmund teammates are reportedly glad he’s gone.
The 20-year-old has earned rave reviews, both on and off the pitch so far, and scored in his La Liga debut against Athletic Bilbao at the weekend.
However, a surprise report has come from BILD, which has claimed that Borussia Dortmund’s players are happy that he is no longer at the club, and were unimpressed with his attitude when at the club.
His ability was obvious for all to see, but he reportedly had a run-in with defender Nico Schulz and would speak to other teammates in a rude manner.
This comes in complete contrast to how his early days at Real Madrid have been. Guti has called him the “most complete” midfielder in the world, and his teammates are reportedly stunned at both his incredible ability and his professionalism.
Sour grapes?
Today’s report comes as a surprise, and the news may perhaps have come from Dortmund’s team as a way of discrediting Bellingham for leaving.
Bellingham’s attitude so far has been exemplary, and he seems to be bonding well with his new teammates in what is now a vibrant young squad.
He started alongside Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde in a fresh, young midfield, with veterans Toni Kroos and Luka Modric benched for the trip to Athletic Bilbao.
If Bellingham did have problems with his teammates before, it seems highly unlikely that they will resurface in Madrid’s elite young squad, and if he does speak to his teammates in what may be considered an inappropriate manner, Real Madrid will know how to handle it.
With the likes of Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane as club icons, Real Madrid is a place where even the biggest characters can thrive. At Dortmund, Bellingham was one of the best players in the team at a young age, and older teammates may have been unimpressed with his mentality.
At Real Madrid, a win-first mentality will be welcomed, and as he will be playing alongside some of the best players in the world, Bellingham will now be unlikely to be at the forefront of any trouble on or off the pitch.