A video circulating on social media seems to capture a tense exchange between Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham and head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The 21-year-old Bellingham was in the starting lineup for last night’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
However, he found it difficult to influence the game, as the La Liga giants suffered a surprising 3-0 defeat, with two goals coming from Declan Rice’s set-pieces and a composed finish by Mikel Merino. ..Continue Reading
Following the match, Ancelotti shared his perspective on his team’s underwhelming display in north London.
“It’s a tough loss,” said the Italian during his post-match press conference. “We weren’t expecting this. The team looked pretty good and well organised in the first half. Following the two set-piece goals, the team dropped off both mentally and physically.
“It was a difficult end to the game because we didn’t see the reaction we’re used to seeing from this team. The final 30 minutes were very poor.
“There are two assessments here: one that I was satisfied up to 0-0, and the other following the reaction to their goals, which was really poor.”
During the game, fans on social media spotted what appeared to be a disagreement between Bellingham and Ancelotti.
One said: “Look at Cama looking a Belli. They can’t believe it.”
Another added: “Look at Bellingham even he doesn’t want Cama to do whatever Ancelloti said.”
While a third explained: “Imagine being a kid to the game and disrespecting one of the most successful managers in history like this.”
A fourth commented: “When you see players arguing tactics with the manager, you just know how useless the manager is.”
Real Madrid will resume their La Liga campaign with an away fixture against Alaves on Sunday, April 13, before hosting Arsenal for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, April 16, where they’ll be aiming to overturn a three-goal deficit.
While few teams are as capable of pulling off a dramatic comeback as Real Madrid, Ancelotti acknowledged that their “chances are slim.”
“We have to do everything we can to try and recover,” said Ancelotti. “The chances are pretty slim but we have to try, and we’ll try and do it any way we can. Let’s see if we can pull it off. It feels as though there’s no chance after tonight, but things always change in football.”
