Ruud Gullit has defended Jude Bellingham following Real Madrid's 2-1 home loss to Manchester City in the Champions League. The Dutch legend argued that the midfielder is overburdened due to limited contributions from teammates without the ball. Bellingham set up the opening goal but missed key chances in the match.
Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu in a Champions League clash, with Jude Bellingham playing a pivotal role despite the loss. The England international assisted Rodrygo for the early goal, giving Madrid a lead they couldn't maintain as City mounted a comeback.
Bellingham appeared frustrated at the final whistle amid a tough run of results for the team under manager Xabi Alonso. Criticism has mounted on the 21-year-old for missing big chances, but Ruud Gullit, the 1987 Ballon d'Or winner and two-time European Cup champion, came to his defense on BeIN Sports.
Gullit highlighted Bellingham's status as Madrid's standout performer, blaming the imbalance on other players' lack of defensive work. "Mbappe is not doing a lot when he doesn’t have the ball. Vinicius Junior doesn’t do a lot, Rodrygo doesn’t do a lot, and lots of others have to work double. Bellingham is a victim of that," he said. He also noted the impact of Toni Kroos's departure, stating, "He can’t play in the same way that he did [when] Kroos was there. When Kroos was there… they had a balance."
Gullit extended his support to Bellingham's international career, calling him a "certainty" for England and criticizing any potential omission by coach Tuchel.
Bellingham addressed the defeat to TNT Sports, expressing confidence in a turnaround. "We’re still trying to work it out inside the changing room. We have everything we need to turn it around. I’ve got full faith that this season isn’t over just because we’ve been on a bad run," he said. On Alonso, he added unwavering backing: "100%. The manager’s been great, I’ve got a great relationship with him. We’ll have to take a bit of the s–t on the chin, but we will have to keep fighting and keep bouncing forward."
