Jude Bellingham has taken the world by storm over the last few years. His rise to the top of football has been astronomical, and he's now one of the most beloved stars in the sport. His work with Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid has earned him plaudits all over the world and there aren't many who have a bad word to say about the attacking midfielder.
As is life, though, you can't please everyone, and there have been a few individuals criticising Bellingham for his apparent arrogance. One such name is former World Cup-winning star and ex-Borussia Monchengladbach defensive midfielder Christoph Kramer. The 33-year-old spent several years competing against the Englishman in Germany during his time with Dortmund. An incident following one match left a sour taste in his mouth.
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Bellingham Ignored Kramer's Request to Swap Jerseys
It left the German feeling embarrassed
Christoph Kramer
While Bellingham has impressed the majority following his emergence as a superstar, and he's considered one of the best young footballers on the planet, Kramer had a rough encounter with the 21-year-old a couple of years ago, and it's something that has remained with him to this day. After a match between Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach, the German approached his opponent and asked about swapping jerseys, as has become tradition for footballers to do with one another.
Unfortunately, the request didn't go quite as the midfielder hoped, and it's a moment that haunts him. Speaking on the Copa TS podcast, via Reddit, he explained all, saying:
"I thought it was terrible too. I asked, 'Can I have your jersey?' "He heard it, he also looked at me briefly, then went straight ahead and patted me on the shoulder. So much honour and so much pride was broken in me."
So, according to Kramer, not only was his request to swap football shirts denied but he was completely ignored by Bellingham. That has to hurt your ego. Especially for someone like Kramer. He's no slouch after all.
Kramer is a World Cup Winner
He has had a fine career
Christoph Kramer
While Bellingham is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, Kramer has been quite a solid footballer himself. The midfielder first broke into the professional game at Bayer Leverkusen and remained with the club for five years. Regular first-team football was hard to come by at the BayArena for the star, though, and after a couple of loan spells at VfL Bochum and Monchengladbach, he joined the latter on a permanent deal.
From there, things took off, and he became a key figure for the Bundesliga club and earned a chance in the German national team as a result. It was with his country that Kramer would experience his greatest triumph, winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He even started the final as his nation lifted the trophy for the fourth time ever.
Back in club football, he was also thriving for Monchengladbach. Kramer was a key figure in the team for eight years and only played less than 18 league games once for the team. After making 288 appearances for the side, the midfielder was let go in the summer of 2024. He has had a solid career, but the situation with Bellingham left him insulted, and he went on to comment on the star's attitude again.
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Kramer Called Bellingham 'Irritating'
He wasn't impressed by his actions with England
Jude Bellingham in action for England
Euro 2024 was a huge showing for Bellingham. He made it all the way to the final of the European Champions with England and played the hero on multiple occasions with some massive performances to help send the Three Lions to the showdown with Spain. The world seemed to be at his feet and the press couldn't get enough of him.
One man wasn't all too impressed, though, and that was Kramer. The German actually called the Real Madrid star irritating for his behaviour during England's win over Slovakia. Bellingham saved the day with a sublime bicycle kick in the final minute of the match to force extra time when Harry Kane then sent the Three Lions through.
Still, Kramer wasn't happy with him and speaking to German channel ZDF, via the Daily Express, he revealed as much, saying:
"He is, of course, an outstanding player, he just has to be careful overall that he doesn't start getting too cocky at such a young age. What I always find really bad is when you wave off your teammates. He had a few gestures in there, even in the last few games.
"After the tournament, during the summer break, I hope he reflects a bit. I don't think I'm the only one who says he can be irritating sometimes."
The shirt-swapping incident has clearly been playing on Kramer's mind for quite a while, and it may be some time before Bellingham wins him over.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 16/12/2024.