Jude Bellingham's departure has seen Zinedine Zidane linked with a return to the Bernabeu (Image: Getty)
The Real Madrid board are said to be troubled by Jude Bellingham's alarming decline in performances, sparking suggestions that Zinedine Zidane will step in as savior. The La Liga giants are facing tough times this season, currently trailing Barcelona in the league title race with a gap of nine points after suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat in the Clasico last month.
Despite a star-studded frontline including Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and new Kylian Mbappe – alongside a deeper Bellingham – the team's performances have been poor, also leaving them floundering in the Champions League in 18th place with already two defeats. spoil their case.
The England international has particularly been a point of contention, having suffered injuries and an inability to score or assert his influence within manager Carlo Ancelotti's revamped tactics. With the Spanish team's hierarchy reportedly unhappy with Bellingham's poor performances on the pitch, Ancelotti is being singled out for mismanaging his talents.
Madrid media outlet Relevo reports: “Bellingham's situation worries the board. Unrecognizable, frustrated, inaccurate. He was one of the biggest victims of Ancelotti's experiments; sometimes on the right, other times on the left , and now without a presence in the area where he was so decisive last season.”
Bellingham's stunning 19 league goals last season were key to his side winning the league title by a comfortable margin of 10 points, and his contribution of four European goals propelled their journey to an unprecedented 15th League victory champions. However, this season has seen his advantage blunt due to injuries and Mbappe's disruptive presence as a number 9.
“I think Jude surprised everyone last season when he started, and now he is doing very well,” Ancelotti noted earlier this summer. “He is really mature and is taking more responsibility in the team. He is a very important player for us. As he did last season, he will do the same this season.”
“I think so,” Ancelotti replied, asking if Bellingham could improve. “He has a lot of quality, a very mature and very strong character. He is a very important player in the team, not only for what he did on the pitch but also for what he did. l The environment is really important for one's personality.
Ancelotti was criticized for his misuse of Bellingham (Image: Getty)
However, despite these optimistic proclamations, there has been no noticeable improvement in form. Bellingham and his colleagues are still underperforming, Mbappé is still not firing after ousting the Englishman from his preferred position, and fingers are being pointed at Ancelotti.
According to ED, Real legend Zidane, who is currently not committed elsewhere, is emerging as one of the leading contenders to take the reins should Ancelotti be sacked. With three European triumphs and two La Liga titles won during his tenure with the Spanish giants, Zidane was coy but sent a telling message in 2022 about whether he would welcome a return.
“As a coach, I can't go to 50 clubs. There are two or three possibilities,” Zidane told L'Equipe. “If I return to a club, it's to win. I say it with all modesty. That's why I can't go anywhere. For other reasons too, I might not be able to go everywhere . Which ones? Language, for example.
“When people say to me: 'You want to go to Manchester [United]? “I understand English but I don’t master it completely. I know there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work differently.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1973338/zinedine-zidane-jude-bellingham-real-madrid