Jude Bellingham has said reports of dressing room strife at Real Madrid are «fabricated or exaggerated,» saying the players are «100% behind» coach Xabi Alonso and describing teammate Vinícius Júnior as «as positive as ever.»
Madrid had a difficult spell before Christmas, winning just two games out of eight in all competitions, to leave Alonso under serious pressure, while the coach’s relationship with Vinícius was scrutinised when the forward reacted angrily to being substituted during October’s Clásico.
Real face local rivals Atlético Madrid in their Spanish Supercopa semifinal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, ahead of a possible final with either Barcelona or Athletic Club on Sunday.
«A lot of the problems you might hear about in tough moments are fabricated or exaggerated,» Bellingham said in a news conference on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City. «We know what really happens inside the dressing room. We’re behind the coach.
«I see Vinícius every day, he’s just as positive as ever. He’s no bad influence on the team and what we’re trying to do. I have a great relationship with Vini and if I felt he was hurting us as a team, I’d tell him, but I don’t think there is at all … As for the manager, we’re all 100% behind him.»
Madrid started the season well, winning 13 of their first 14 matches, before a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool was followed by three consecutive LaLiga draws and losses to Celta Vigo and Manchester City.
The team got back on track with three victories before Christmas, and beat Real Betis 5-1 in LaLiga on Sunday.
«From my perspective, in the dressing room, we’re all behind the coach,» Bellingham said. «We’ve all got to be one in moments like this… Looking at it from a different perspective, in January we’re heading into a [Supercopa] semifinal, we’re second in the league, four points off the top, and in the top eight in the Champions League.
«It’s not a disaster by any means. At Real Madrid everything gets over-exaggerated a bit in the bad moments, but that’s why we love it. What happens tomorrow will hopefully be a win for us, but if not those decisions [on Alonso] are way above my head.»
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Bellingham and coach Alonso both backed Vinícius, who has failed to score in Madrid’s last 15 games.
«Vini is under a huge amount of pressure as a player and as a person,» Bellingham said. «Sometimes the stuff he does on the pitch is through pure emotion. You have to think it’s a human being doing those things, and that can add to the pressure of a block of form in front of goal.
«I see an electric player who can create something out of nothing. The goals don’t tell the full story … We all know when he’s at his best we’re a better team and he’s a frightening player.»
«There’s a lot of season left, a lot of important games,» Alonso said. » Vini will be important. Tomorrow we need him at his best, connected to the team. When he enjoys himself on the pitch, he opens teams up.»
Alonso defended his handling of star forward Kylian Mbappé, who has been ruled out of the Supercopa with a knee sprain, after playing three times in a week before Christmas.
«Depending on the moment, you take decisions,» Alonso said. «We’re here, we want to have [Mbappé] back as soon as possible. We’ve pushed but this game has come too soon.»
