Real Madrid star, Jude Bellingham, told the media that people would do well to remember that Vinicius Junior is as capable of human error as anyone. Among the questions about the way he played, the England player revealed that there is nothing wrong with the behavior of his teammates.
Los Blancos will enter the Spanish Supercup under pressure, with Xabi Alonso’s future in doubt. They will face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals on Thursday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and their previous meeting ended 5-2 to Los Colchoneros. Bellingham said his team learned from that loss.
“I think the key is tomorrow, obviously when we face a very difficult team in Atletico Madrid, the important thing is to learn from the mistakes we made in the first game. We got our first defeat in the first game, there were many points we learned. It was important to review the game in the right way, and I think we have done that. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Bellingham on position change – ‘I’m enjoying a deeper role’
Bellingham was asked about his current role in Real Madrid’s midfield, which has changed since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe. He was previously one of the team’s most feared players, but the England international explained that he is enjoying a different role.
“Absolutely not. Obviously, before, I was playing at the top of the diamond, and I spent most of the game around the box, or at least in the final third trying to create goals. Obviously with the arrival of Kylian we had a natural scorer, someone who could score 40-50 goals a season.”
“So there was little need for me to attack the box, and it was very important for me to combine different areas of the field. I know that every year I will score goals, I am confident that I will score goals. Last year in a different position, I scored 15, and I have a few this year. But as I say, I am very happy with this new role, a deep role, to bring the team together, to be able to combine goals. They have never been more important to me as a midfielder. Obviously I’m always asked to attack the box because of the impact I can have there, but I’m enjoying this new role.”
‘Vinicius is under a lot of pressure as a player and as a person’
Another focus of the press conference was the form of Vinicius, who is yet to score in 14 games for Los Blancos. Recently he was pointed in the direction of the Bernabeu crowd, some fans whistled at him as he left the pitch.
“I can only speak from my opinion. Vinicius as a player and a person is under a lot of pressure, and the things he does on the pitch are driven by pure emotion. Sometimes I think people forget that he is a person who does those things. I think that has led to form in front of goal.”
“For me as a teammate, I consider Vinicius as an electric player that I can give the ball to, and he can create something for no reason. Goals don’t tell the whole story, sometimes he created a lot, he was given assists, but it is important that he returns to his good level. It is important to look at the whole pie.”
An additional factor perhaps in Vinicius’ turn of events with Real Madrid fans is his contractual status. The Brazilian is yet to sign a new deal with only 18 months remaining on his current deal. If there is no agreement between his camp and the club, there is a high possibility that he will leave the club this summer.