Moment Jude Bellingham ‘misplaced it’ with Southgate throughout England defeat to Spain
Jude Bellingham is said to have ‘lost it’ with Gareth Southgate during England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
The Real Madrid star was one of the Three Lions’ key men during the tournament out in Germany. But according to reports he reacted angrily towards his manager when England were still 1-0 down in the second half in Berlin and Southgate was yet to make any substitutes.
ESPN’s Mark Ogden reported: “Jude Bellingham was getting frustrated, I don’t know if it came across on camera. Just before [Harry] Kane was taken off, Bellingham lost it with Gareth Southgate on the side of the pitch as if to say ‘change something, do something’ and Kane was taken off.”
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The footballer writer added: “As soon as Kane went off and [Ollie] Watkins came on and then Cole Palmer, England played so much better.”
Bellingham may have questioned his manager’s decision making but after the 2-1 loss he could seen sitting on the pitch while Southgate consoled him. He then went around his team-mates to offer words of comfort after the crushing result, which meant England’s 58-year wait for an international trophy continued.
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(Image: PA)
The weight of expectation weighed heavy on the 21-year-old’s shoulders during the tournament with many supporters expecting him to perform consistently. He did not perform as well as he had for Real Madrid in La Liga this season but still produced an iconic overhead kick in the dying embers of the round of 16 fixture against Slovakia to keep England’s hopes alive – he also scored the winning goal in England’s opening group game against Serbia.
Although he provided the clever lay-off for Cole Palmer’s equaliser on Sunday in Berlin, he could not make the vital difference and cut a visibly frustrated figure at full-time. In Germany, Bellingham – and many of his teammates- appeared fatigued. The Stourbridge-born midfielder played deep into most competitions winning the UEFA Champions League and La Liga title with Los Blancos last term.
The England squad returned home on Monday with many expected to join their club sides in August after they take some time off to recuperate after a hectic season. They may have a new manager by the next time they meet up for duty, however, a decision is yet to be made on the future of Southgate – England’s Nations League campaign will begin on September 7, with a fixture in Dublin against Republic of Ireland.
