Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Jude Bellingham’s bravery and character following a tense moment between the England midfielder and teammate Vinicius Junior during their 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo, Soccernet.football reports.
The incident occurred late in the first half when Real Madrid were leading 1-0.
Vinicius chose to take a shot rather than pass to an open Bellingham, missing the opportunity to extend the lead. Bellingham, visibly frustrated, was seen expressing his displeasure at Vinicius for failing to square the ball to him.
Despite the confrontation, Vinicius redeemed himself later in the match by scoring the winning goal. The Brazilian latched onto a sublime pass from Luka Modric to secure a hard-fought victory for Los Blancos.
When asked about the exchange between his two star players in ...-match press conference, Ancelotti downplayed the incident, emphasising the positive qualities of both players.
“I haven’t seen that play you’re talking about,” Ancelotti admitted. “But if it has happened, it means that [Bellingham] has balls, character, and it seems good to me.”
The Italian tactician continued: “Honestly, I didn’t realise the play [had happened], I’ll watch it. But if he has reacted… let’s be calm, after the game they were talking, laughing. They have no problems.”
Reflecting on the match itself, Ancelotti acknowledged that Celta Vigo had made things difficult for Real Madrid.
“We could have played better, yes, but the group was committed and knew how to suffer because Celta also competed well, with intensity,” he said.
“We took three important points thanks to a fantastic pass from Modric. Luka always contributes, whether he is a starter or coming off the bench.”
Real Madrid will now shift their focus to their highly anticipated El Clasico clash against arch-rivals Barcelona on Sunday.