Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has established himself as the absolute best player in the world here in 2023/24.
He is constantly bailing even the Merengues out of tough matchups with great goals while showing the same all-around quality that nearly brought the Bundesliga title to Dortmund last season.
Bellingham recently helped Madrid complete another furious, last-gasp comeback win in LaLiga, this time over lowly Almería with several officiating decisions causing controversy.
However, the English superstar himself was actually mad at the officials during the game, too, going on an expletive-filled rant after the refs admitted they missed a foul call against him.
Jude Bellingham after speaking to the referees at the half against Almeria and they agreed with him that he was fouled during a play. pic.twitter.com/PuNfopELGu
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 22, 2024
Those who watched Bellingham closely know that he’s had plenty of run-ins with the refs in the past. That was a key area of frustration for him and Dortmund last season, with Bundesliga officials frequently admitting they made errors after games.
Bundesliga teams knew the threat Bellingham carried as Dortmund’s clear leader on the ball, so he was the most-fouled player in the German top flight. That led to more frustration from Jude to the officials, as he clearly felt targeted by opponents.
Jude Bellingham won’t get much sympathy from other fans
Vinícius Júnior has been vocal about refs not calling enough fouls against him in LaLiga, too, so it is no surprise to see this from a Real Madrid superstar.
Maybe these star players have a point, but nobody is going to feel sympathy for a big-name player in Madrid – and especially not after the team was on the benefiting side of controversial, game-deciding calls.
In 2023/24, Bellingham is averaging a whopping 3.1 fouls drawn per game in LaLiga. Teams are still targeting him, even in his new surroundings at the Santiago Bernabéu.
While Bellingham may feel otherwise, the fact that he has drawn so many fouls per match in the Spanish top flight is also a sign that he is indeed getting the calls.
Like Vini Jr., Jude, regardless of whether he’s in the right, may want to consider being a little kinder to the refs. It’s not like they will give him more calls for cursing at them.
Former editor of The Real Champs and Old Juve, covering Real Madrid and Juventus
