Jude Bellingham is thriving under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, embracing a more advanced No. 10 role that emphasizes tactical freedom and positional discipline. The England midfielder has driven Madrid’s strong start to the La Liga season.
Real Madrid Jude Bellingham Revels New Role Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho’s second reign in the Spanish capital has injected fresh energy into Real Madrid, and the tactical architecture of the side is built firmly around Jude Bellingham. Back in charge of Madrid 13 years after leaving, Portuguese veteran Mourinho must bring the dressing room under control after the chaos of last season, and end Spanish champions Barcelona’s domestic dominance. Mourinho started with superstars Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Bellingham, as well as handing debuts to Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate.
Jose Mourinho’s second spell in charge of Real Madrid began with a last-gasp 2-1 victory at Espanyol in La Liga, with substitute Carlos Espi pouncing in the 90th minute to grab the winner. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in Los Blancos’ opening fixture of the season on Saturday, and new signing Espi secured the points at the death after Alex Calatrava had levelled against Mourinho’s star-studded team. José Mourinho had doubts about introducing Jude Bellingham in the starting eleven against Espanyol for logical reasons, as he played until the latter stages of the World Cup and joined Real Madrid late. I had doubts about whether to start him or bring him on later,
Mourinho said after Real Madrid’s win over Espanyol. I don’t know if I made the right decision, but physically and mentally he is very strong.
As the game started, Bellingham seemed to be the most important piece in Real Madrid’s structure, linking defense and attack.
Explained: Why Jose Mourinho is building his Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham endured a difficult second season at Real Madrid, but the midfielder’s mood has changed dramatically since Jose Mourinho took charge. According to The Athletic’s Mario Cortegana, Bellingham is enjoying the new demands Mourinho has introduced and has responded to the manager’s methods with a level of discipline that has impressed people inside the club. A source close to Mourinho believes one of the biggest changes has been Bellingham’s positioning. The England international is playing closer to goal in the manager’s system, operating as a No. 10 with greater freedom to influence attacking phases. Above all, he's playing closer to goal,
says a source. He's performing better because he's running fewer kilometres,
he added. Mourinho had already identified Bellingham as a player capable of returning to his best and spoke to him before the World Cup about how he could be used.
Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-1 in Jose Mourinho’s first
Jude Bellingham is feeling like himself again at Real Madrid. The England midfielder says a new role under Jose Mourinho has given him the freedom his game was missing. The difference has been visible from day one. Bellingham scored against Espanyol and then created two goals in a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad. Speaking to Real Madrid TV, Bellingham said: ‘Now I’m a bit more free, with the freedom to move further up, and drop deep if we need it.’ ‘I’m enjoying it a lot.
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