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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti claimed that superstar midfielder Jude Bellingham's role will remain the same even with Kylian Mbappe joining the squad. The Italian denied rumors that the 21-year-old will be pushed into a deeper role to accommodate the French forward.
Karim Benzema's surprise departure to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in July 2023 left Real without an out-and-out striker. While they did sign Joselu on loan from Espanyol as a stop-gap replacement, Bellingham was often deployed as a shadow centre-forward throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
The former Borussia Dortmund man shone in his new role, bagging 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 games across all competitions. However, after the long-awaited arrival of Mbappe, rumors were rife about Bellingham being moved back into midfield.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Real's pre-season friendly against Premier League giants Chelsea (August 6), Ancelotti dispelled these rumors, saying (via BBC):
"Nothing changes for him [Bellingham]. Nothing changes. The first season, he surprised a lot because he showed fantastic quality, a really mature guy. The next season will not be different. He is going to be one of the best players that we have, supporting a lot the team with his quality."
Ancelotti's comments may indicate a switch to a top-heavy formation with Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. in attack for Real Madrid. Even without the Englishman in midfield, they will have enough quality with the likes of Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Real Madrid boss defends Jude Bellingham despite widespread criticism for EURO 2024 performances
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti defended his star midfielder Jude Bellingham despite widespread criticism for his performances for England at Euro 2024.
Bellingham started every single game and played almost every single minute for the Three Lions in the recently concluded tournament. England reached the final but ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat against Spain.
The 21-year-old scored England's first goal of the tournament in a 1-0 win over Serbia in their opening encounter. He also saved them from a certain elimination in the Round of 16 against Slovakia.
With Gareth Southgate's side trailing 1-0 in the 95th minute, Bellingham produced a spectacular bicycle kick, leveling the scoreline and sending the game into extra-time. He also assisted Cole Palmer's equalizer in the final but was largely uninspiring for most of the campaign.
Despite some clutch moments, media and fans alike have been open in their criticism of Bellingham's performances at Euro 2024. Many have called him out for cutting a forlorn figure for most of the games and even falling out with Southgate midway through the final.
However, one man who seemed to be impressed with his performances was Ancelotti. In a press conference before Real Madrid's pre-season friendly against Chelsea (August 6), he said:
"This is an opinion but Bellingham played really well at the Euros... The most important players are used to playing every three days, they manage that really well and arrive at the end of the season without any problems."
