Fans have praised Jude Bellingham for his open and honest interview following Real Madrid's match against Liverpool on Wednesday night. The two sides met in the Champions League at Anfield, with the Reds coming out on top 2-0. Goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo in the second half sealed the deal for Arne Slot's men, continuing their incredible start to the campaign.
It was the latest setback for Madrid, though, who have now lost three straight games in the Champions League. It's left them in a rough situation in terms of the league table, with Los Blancos currently sitting in 24th and only just inside the playoff positions. Bellingham was tasked with speaking to the media after the loss to the Premier League leaders and fans are impressed with what they saw from the midfielder.
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Arne Slot's men, still unbeaten at Europe's top table, now sit at the top of the Champions League group stage rankings.
Bellingham Owned the Loss
He was honest with his assessment
Jude Bellingham
Rather than make excuses for his side's disappointing evening, Bellingham was open and honest with his assessment of how the match against Liverpool played out. Speaking to TNT Sports after the fact, he said:
"I think from the first minute they [Liverpool] took control of the game. We never really maximised the spells that we had in possession. You know, when we got the ball back, we probably tried to force the counterattack a few too many times and turned it over so much that they managed to keep control.
"Defensively, they kept us in a place where we couldn't really harm them as much and I just think they were more up for it than us, to be honest which is really disappointing to say, but you know, it's a bad result against probably the best performing team in Europe. It's no disgrace to come here and lose, but we are disappointed in how we performed and the important thing is we use it the right way now."
With Liverpool narrowly leading the game at 1-0, Madrid were awarded a penalty and Kylian Mbappe had the chance to level things from the spot, but he failed to convert it. When asked about the incident, Bellingham showed class, saying: "It's obviously a big moment in the game, but it can happen. He's a wonderful player, but the pressure that he holds, because of how good he is, is huge. The penalty's not the reason why we lost the game. As a collective, we weren't good enough on the night. They performed better than us and it's as simple as that."
They appreciated the honesty
Jude Bellingham
It's not often a footballer fronts a loss and is as open and honest about it as Bellingham was following the Liverpool defeat, especially a player who's as good as the midfielder. Fans appreciated the comments too. Many took to X (Twitter) to share their opinions on his attitude. One described the interview, saying: "Honest, acknowledges defeat, and doesn't berate Mbappe for missing a penalty, elite mentality."
Another fan posted: "Speaks so well. Great fella," while a third said: "Always top-notch both on the pitch and off." Someone else commented on his leadership qualities, posting: "Captain material for club and country."
The praise didn't stop there, though, with another supporter labelling Bellingham a 'class' player, saying: "Class player. Answered well. Respect."