Jude Bellingham ditches his number 22, takes his idol’s shirt number at Real Madrid
The young Englishman takes up Zidane's shirt number in Spain after his idol.
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Jude Bellingham is the latest ‘Galactico‘ for Real Madrid. He has completed his transfer from Borussia Dortmund and has passed his medical and has taken up shirt number five as his official number and has been registered as a Real Madrid player in the footsteps of a certain Zinedine Zidane.
The number five at Real Madrid was worn by the legendary Zinedine Zidane. The jersey has a significant legacy at Madrid and now it shall be Bellingham donning it for the Los Blancos. He has expressed Zidane as his role model and would be keen to follow his steps at Real Madrid.
When asked about his top three football influences on a Borussia Dortmund podcast last year, Bellingham said “Easy, man. Zidane first.” He then mentioned that his first encounter with the legendary Frenchman was before the Champions League final of the previous season, “the first time I felt being in awe of someone.”
A new phase in the young Englishman‘s football career begins as he dons the number five shirt at Real Madrid. The young midfielder is aware of the obligations and demands that come with sporting such a prestigious jersey number. With Bellingham taking the number five, Jesús Vallejo will switch over to the number 24 shirt. The change in player’s jersey numbers depict the squad’s versatility and the ongoing development of each player’s position on the team.
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Zidane opting to return to coaching
Since his second departure from Real Madrid in 2021, Zinedine Zidane has been out of the managing field. The Frenchman might be willing to make a comeback soon, according to sources. Since 2021, Zidane has been on sabbatical.
Over the past few years, “Zizou” has been connected to numerous prestigious positions. He has had interest from Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, and even France. The Frenchman has continued to bide his time and recharge his batteries, though.
He has been linked with a National Team Manager job in France. But he denied these rumors, he said to GQ, “I’ve often said that when you know the France team as a player and you become a coach, it’s just logical to think about it. But now is not the time.” GQ magazine still insists that Zidane is ready to join a club and act as their manager.
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Arpan Ghosh
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