Jude Bellingham is polarizing more than almost anyone else at the European Championships. While some celebrate him for his genius, others see him as a 21-year-old snob who is about to take off into unhealthy spheres.
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- Jude Bellingham is earning a lot of praise from experts, but he's also being lambasted with criticism.
- He celebrated his goal in the European Championship round of 16 against Slovakia with an obscene gesture. In the worst case scenario, he could face a ban.
- Didi Hamann believes that Bellingham's absence could be "a blessing" for England.
Former England international Owen Hargreaves is full of praise for Jude Bellingham: "I've never seen a young player walk into the dressing room at a club like Real Madrid and immediately become a top performer - even with Zinédine Zidane's number 5. You can only say: hats off." He continued: "His personality, his mentality is his greatest strength. When you see him play and what he's already achieved, it's amazing."
Peter Knäbel also warns of the young star in an interview with blue Sport: "Bellingham is a sensational player and an exceptional leader of the team in terms of energy. To beat England, you have to beat Bellingham. Because as long as he's still twitching, England aren't dead."
In the round of 16 against Slovakia, the 21-year-old Champions League winner fired England to victory with a dream goal. As he celebrates his goal, he shouts "Who else?" ("Who else?") into the camera. And after the game, when asked who writes the script for England, he replies: "Me."
It is precisely because of such actions that Bellingham is an irritating figure. Christoph Kramer spoke from the heart when he said on ZDF: "Bellingham is an outstanding player. But he has to be careful that he doesn't start getting airs and graces at such a young age."
Former professional footballer Didi Hamann has a similar view: "You're nothing without your colleagues - and if he then stands up and says that, I'd be interested to hear what his team-mates have to say. Apart from his goals, he was nowhere to be seen in the first four games." Bellingham obviously has it in his head that he is the greatest. "He says: if I don't score one, no one else will. These aren't craftsmen playing with him now. That has something to do with being down to earth and respecting your teammates. That seems to be lacking."
Because Bellingham also added an obscene gesture to his goal celebration, it is still possible that the 21-year-old will be suspended for the game against Switzerland. A disaster for England? On the contrary, at least if Hamann has his way.
"Gareth Southgate should have made the decision earlier to take Bellingham or Phil Foden off. Now he may be forced to take his chances if Bellingham is suspended. If he has to sit out, that might even be a blessing in disguise. It might even help the team. Something has to happen." He always prefers the collective to the individual players, "which is why I think the Swiss will knock the English out", said the ex-professional.
