Real Madrid News
Real Madrid new signing waxes lyrical over Jude Bellingham: “Future Ballon d’Or winner”
Joselu has been Carlo Ancelotti’s best-placed replacement for the injured Vinicius Jr this season at Real Madrid.
The Spanish striker came on for the Brazilian after his injury and provided the assist to Jude Bellingham’s winner against Celta Vigo.
Further, he found the back of the net in the home game against Getafe and brought his team back on level terms on the night.
Joselu is currently on international duty with Spain for the team’s upcoming EURO qualifiers and he spoke to the media in the buildup to the same. Here are the snippets from his press interaction as relayed by AS.
The striker first spoke on his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu last week and the emotions that ran through his mind on an incredible night.
“It was something incredible. We went to see the stadium a few hours before the game, on Sunday morning. It was raining, and the roof was closed. The truth is that playing there as a local is going to be impressive, and it is very hard to do it as a visitor.”
On the reception he received from the fans at the Bernabeu, Joselu said: “There was a moment when the White Stand chanted my name, which was very exciting. I get goosebumps when I remember it.”
The veteran striker then spoke on his connection with Jude Bellingham both on the field and off the field and the potential he had in his boots.
“He’s a crack. I talk to him a lot because I learned English when I played in the Premier League. He is a humble and hardworking boy who is already feeling what Real Madrid is.”
“Yes, he has chances to win it all. Bellingham has attracted attention even inside Madrid’s locker room. He could be a future Ballon d’Or winner,” he added when asked if Bellingham could win the Ballon d’Or.
Joselu was then quizzed on Toni Kroos and his ability to turn games around in the most difficult situations.
There was no end to the praise he showered on the German maestro as he said: “Kroos should have five Ballon d’Or! He is an incredible player, capable of changing a game. He is one of the players who has caught my attention the most at Real Madrid.”
As part of his recent interview, Dani Carvajal revealed that he did not know the reason why Joselu opted to wear number 14 instead of number 9 for Los Blancos. The striker cleared the cloud of doubt and revealed that it had to do with his younger years in La Liga.
“I wanted the ’14’ because it is the number with which I debuted in Celta in the Second Division when I was starting.
“The No. 9 has been taken for many years by a legend of Madrid (Benzema) but that’s something I didn’t care about. That’s the whole explanation, I’ll leave it there.”
Joselu was then posed with a puzzling question as he was asked if Spaniards faced more pressure to perform at the club than foreigners. To that, he replied,
“It is not true that we Spaniards are required to do more, it happens with everyone.”
The Spanish international then spoke on what he brings to the table for the men in white and admitted that he would be a force to reckon with in the opposition box.
“What I will try to do is to transmit what I know how to do on the field. What I like the most is to score goals and on Sunday I scored the first one.”
Finally, Joselu was asked if his goal at the club was to win the UEFA Champions League and La Liga. His reply showed his ambition and he refused to back down from the third unmentioned competition, the Copa del Rey.
“And the Copa del Rey too! Well, I hope so. That would be a dream. But it is true that you aspire to what you can achieve and at Real Madrid, you aspire to everything.”
Real Madrid’s game against Las Palmas this midweek was an important one for the club.
The Spanish giants secured a 2-0 victory over the Canaries. But more importantly, the game witnessed the return of Vinicius Junior, who was coming back from an injury.
However, it was not the most pleasing return from the Brazilian, who had an altercation with head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Dispute ends without a handshake
A video has surfaced recently which shows that Vinicius Junior and Ancelotti even ended the game without even shaking hands.
The altercation started when Ancelotti was seen talking to Vinicius, asking him to play more freely.
🚨🚨🚨🎥 مترجم |
— شبكة RM4Arab (@RM4Arab) September 28, 2023
خلاف بين فينيسيوس و انشيلوتي ينتهي دون مصافحة بين الطرفين بعد نهاية مباراة لاس بالماس.
pic.twitter.com/BRoi4SFcaC
Vinicius, though, was not happy with the Italian’s tactics. He pointed out his disagreement with Ancelotti and highlighted the team’s lack of structure.
Ancelotti continued to yell at the Brazilian, asking him to play a certain way. The matters turned worse when Vini continued to turn his back on the Real Madrid coach.
After the final whistle, the Brazilian international did glance past Ancelotti without even shaking his hand.
Ancelotti under pressure
This is a worrying sign for Real Madrid and an indicator that the team is not entirely happy with Ancelotti, who has faced criticism despite a relatively good start to the season.
Although the Real Madrid board has continued to back the former AC Milan and PSG coach, the Italian is certainly running on thin ice.
The upcoming games against Girona, Napoli and Osasuna could be crucial as Real Madrid look to maintain their winning momentum, especially following a derby defeat to Atleti.
In the meantime, Ancelotti must definitely have a word with Vinicius and calm the Brazilian, knowing the attacker could play a key role in revving up the team’s offensive unit in the coming weeks.
