Real Madrid standout Jude Bellingham recently expressed his admiration for FC Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi Hernandez, in an interview with TVE, just before the highly anticipated El Clasico clash between the two teams on Saturday.
Bellingham praised Barcelona as a dedicated and industrious team, crediting their strong work ethic to the leadership of Xavi Hernandez.
The outcome of this match holds significant weight, with Barcelona, the defending La Liga champions, trailing the capital team by merely a single point, making the upcoming game a pivotal moment that could shape the destiny of the title race until late May.
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Jude Bellingham in his interview stated: “I am ready and so is Madrid, I will make sure that we(Real Madrid) will put on a strong performance.”
He added: “I’m very excited about my first Clasico against an opponent I respect. It’s always a good time to face an opponent like Barcelona, because we both have a squad with a lot of quality.”
After making a high-profile move from Borussia Dortmund to Los Blancos in the summer as part of a staggering $109 million transfer, Bellingham has swiftly adapted to life at the Bernabeu.
Despite the magnitude of the occasion, the talented midfielder remains unfazed, expressing no nerves ahead of his inaugural appearance in the world’s most significant derby.
Despite his remarkable record of scoring eleven goals and providing three assists in just twelve appearances, Bellingham emphasized that his primary satisfaction stems from the team’s overall performance and his contribution to their success, rather than just focusing on his impressive individual statistics.
“For everything it generates, I feel more motivation than nerves before this kind of match, if we do everything we know how to do.”
“I know the impact that a Clasico has on the fans, the media and football in general and I feel, at the same time, the responsibility towards the club and the fans to get the three points.”
“I have a lot of freedom to express my football thanks to my teammates and the coaching staff, and the feeling I have is that I’m enjoying myself.”
During the interview, Bellingham assured fans that he would be part of Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup in the El Clasico clash, even though he had picked up a knock in the Champions League match against Braga.
His crucial goal in the 2-1 victory over Braga solidified their top position in Group C, and Bellingham aims to replicate such impact in the upcoming match against Barca this weekend.
