Real Madrid News
Official: Vinicius Jr will wear the No. 7 shirt at Real Madrid, Rodrygo gets No. 11
According to the official squad list page for the 2023/24 season on the club’s website, Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes are set for upgrades in their kit numbers for the upcoming campaign.
Vinicius Jr, who has worn the No. 20 kit since the 2020/21 season, is now all set to be handed the No. 7 shirt from the upcoming campaign.
Following the departure of Eden Hazard, the iconic #7 kit has become vacant and it was speculated that the jersey might be reserved for new signing Jude Bellingham.
However, it will be Vinicius, who has well and truly emerged as the face of this Real Madrid team over the past couple of years, that will be bestowed with the honour of wearing the No. 7 shirt, previously donned by club legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul Gonzalez, and Emilio Butragueno.
Meanwhile, Rodrygo, who has been wearing the #21 kit over the past couple of years, will be handed the #11 shirt for the upcoming season. The number became vacant following the exit of Marco Asensio, who is said to be close to joining PSG.
Rodrygo has grown into a key component of Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, especially over the past couple of seasons. And with Karim Benzema and Asensio departing, the 22-year-old will have a more prominent role to play moving forward.
And the upgrade to the #11 kit is more than deserved after his impressive exploits in the recent seasons.
Meanwhile, Vinicius’ vacated No. 20 shirt will be taken up by new signing Fran Garcia, who returns to Real Madrid from Rayo Vallecano.
Real Madrid News
Bellingham on his special assist in Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: “Been watching Luka every day”
Real Madrid usurped the top spot in the La Liga standings from arch-rivals FC Barcelona as they defeated Girona 3-0 away at Estadi Montilivi.
It was a fine performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men against Michel’s side, with the returning Jude Bellingham leading the way for his team.
After being benched against Las Palmas in midweek, the England international returned to the starting XI today and turned in yet another Man of the Match display for Real Madrid.
It all started with Joselu opening the scoring just 15 minutes into the game, with Bellingham assisting the goal with a special, outside-of-the-boot pass from the left side, bringing back memories of Luka Modric doing something similar a few years ago.
Talking about that special pass, Bellingham said: “I’ve been watching Luka every day for months. I just want to be creative. It took the pressure off us at the start.”
On the match and the result, the 20-year-old stated that it was a good day across the board for Real Madrid, as he said: “It was an important win. They were doing very well. We made a statement of intent to La Liga. Three goals, a clean sheet….”
It has been a truly remarkable start to life at Real Madrid for Bellingham and expressing how he feels to play for the Merengues, he exclaimed:
“I feel very good. I have freedom of movement and I’m enjoying football. Whenever I put on this shirt I always try to do my best.”
Apart from assisting Joselu’s opener, Bellingham also got his name on the scoresheet in the second period. Talking about his goal, the wonderkid said:
“It wasn’t a very good finish. I could have scored some more, but the important thing is the victory.”
The strike meant that Bellingham now has seven goals and two assists across all competitions for Real Madrid. Reflecting on his brilliant start, he said:
“It’s a good start, not bad. I would like to continue on this path and I won’t always score or assist, but I will always give my best.”
Bellingham’s celebration has been a huge hit, with kids in school, players from other clubs, and many others mimicking it. When asked how his special celebration originated, he replied:
“I don’t know where I first celebrated. I think it was with Birmingham. It’s an inspiration to see kids doing it in schools. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Source: AS
