Bellingham, just two moments

The Eurocup dand Jude Bellingham It can almost be summed up in just two moments: the header against Serbia in England’s performance and the overhead kick against Slovakia in the round of 16 where he saved his team from humiliation. So much and so little at the same time for a player who survived the Euro Cup thanks to two decisive sparks, but also tired of wandering around Germany’s stadiums heading into today’s final against Spain. Sunday in Berlin.

Infected by England’s weak proposal, dark until their reaction in the semifinals against the Netherlands, Bellingham was unable to offer his best version, the one he wore to real Madrid in many parts of the season. Exhausted after the white team’s latest triumph, the victory at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund to lift the Champions League marked the end of a grueling course for a player who ran out of fuel during the European Championship.

Bellingham He arrived in Germany with a resume worthy of a Ballon d’Or candidate of the Spanish Super Cup, the League and the Champions League with 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 games, he put his credentials on the table as a candidate. to Vinícius Júnior. More than 30 days after the victory at Wembley, both have lost some credit. Vínicius, in the Copa América, with Brazil eliminated in the quarterfinals; and Bellingham in the Euro Cup, overshadowed by names such as Rodri Hernández, who joined the race for a trophy that sometimes causes controversy.

But, the midfielder of real Madrid It didn’t start out bad. Although England had one of the many poor games they treated their fans to in the Euro Cup, only Bellingham showed his head to escape the almost universal mediocrity of his team. Against Serbia, with a brief appearance, he gave victory to Gareth Southgate’s team thanks to a monumental header in which England achieved a pyrrhic 0-1.

Immediately, the star was showered with praise England. His goal disguised an irregular match of British genius and did not stop the flood of praise he received, mostly, from within his team. “Yes, for sure he will win the Ballon d’Or. Everyone knows what a wonderful player he is. We see him every day in training. He is as good and demanding as a man. He has high standards. The playing with him is great. He is a candidate for the Ballon d’Or,” said Kobbie Mainoo after the victory over Serbia.

However, then reality hit for England. Their next two games, two draws against Denmark (1-1) and Slovenia (0-0), showed the reality of the British team’s game. And, when there is a bad game and no victories, the calm waters become turbulent. In fact, Southgate He experienced firsthand the wrath of a section of his fans, who threw a glass of beer at their coach after the group stage ended. “I understand the narrative towards me. I’m not going to avoid it. That’s better than them targeting players. But it’s an unusual environment to work in. I’ve never seen a team qualify and receive similar treatment,” said Southgate.

Bellingham tHe was also not immune to criticism. Completely missing, he was one of the targets of the British media, who in the round of 16 sharpened their knives to cut his meat in a good part of the clash against Slovakia. England, with a goal from Ivan Scharanz in the 25th minute, were eliminated until Bellingham saved, for the second time.

His great goal in Chile andIn the 95th minute he avoided bloodletting in England. And, surely, it also helped to escape the criticism that he had to live with for a while, because until that moment he had not shown any signs of recovery either. But that goal, perhaps the best of the Euro Cup, gave extra life to Bellingham, his team-mates, Southgate and an entire country that really wanted to move forward to dream of adding a second title to its history after the 1966 World Cup.

Bellingham, sold out

But that joy hid another truth, Bellingham’s exhaustion. R is includedeal Madrid He raised his voice to point out his problem. In April, at the Laureus awards ceremony, she acknowledged something that seemed obvious: “I’m tired,” she said. And in the group stage of the Euro Cup he once again recognized his irregular physical condition, which was more of a problem with a broken shoulder that he had suffered for a long time and at one point had to be solved by surgery.

In the quarterfinals, Bukayo Saka saved England against Switzerland with another saving goal at the end of the match. In overtime, Bellingham He was replaced, unable to accumulate more kilometers. In the semi-finals against the Netherlands, he admitted after the match that he would not face extra time because he was tired again. Ollie Watkins, in his goal of the horn, prevented him from having an extra effort. This situation does not go unnoticed by some members of the Spanish team. This is how he expressed it Dani Olmo at a press conference:

“Bellingham He will be tired but it’s final, I don’t think he won’t play because he’s tired. “He is an important player for England, he showed it in the championship and he is a player to be reckoned with like no other,” he said.

The Spanish midfielder was right. Bellingham, Even if he didn’t perform at the level everyone expected, he could do anything. Whether it was due to his fatigue, his shoulder injury, the poor football in England or all three, he was unable to reach the level that he wowed at Real Madrid. But, as Dani Olmo said, we must consider the British environment. In just an instant, he can finish a fight. He showed it against Serbia and Slovakia. A header and a bicycle kick gave breath to his team, which was dreaming of a third appearance by its best man to win the second title in its history.