Sports Regiment

Bellingham’s exit sparks relief among Dortmund teammates



Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid has been hailed as a record-breaking transfer for an English player, but not everyone is celebrating his departure from Borussia Dortmund. According to reports, some of his former teammates are glad to see him go, as they felt he was too self-centered and disruptive in the dressing room.



Bellingham hopped on over to Dortmund from Birmingham City back in 2020, at the young age of 17. He totally rocked it and became a big shot for the German club, netting 24 goals and dishing out 25 assists in 132 games. He even snagged the Bundesliga Player of the Year title in 2023, all thanks to his awesome play that helped Dortmund nab second place, just trailing behind Bayern Munich.



However, his success came at a price, as he reportedly alienated some of his colleagues with his attitude and behavior. A source told MSN that Bellingham “always wanted to be the center of attention” and “did not respect the hierarchy” in the team. He also clashed with some of the senior players, such as Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, who felt he was too arrogant and selfish.



Bellingham’s desire to join Real Madrid also caused tension in the squad, as he made it clear that he wanted to leave Dortmund as soon as possible. He agreed a six-year deal with the Spanish giants, who paid an initial £88.5m for his services, but the fee could rise to £115m with add-ons. He was unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Thursday, June 15, 2023.



While Bellingham expressed his gratitude to Dortmund and their fans for his three-year spell at the club, some of his former teammates were relieved to see him go. They felt that his departure would improve the team spirit and harmony in the dressing room, and allow other players to shine on the pitch.



One of them was Aurelien Tchouameni, who joined Dortmund from Monaco in January 2023. The French midfielder, who is also 20 years old, is seen as Bellingham’s replacement in the Dortmund midfield. He showed his confidence and cheekiness by trolling Bellingham in training, by referencing France’s World Cup goal against England in 2018.



Tchouameni is not the only player who is expected to step up in Bellingham’s absence. Dortmund have a wealth of young talent in their ranks, such as Erling Haaland, Giovanni Reyna, Youssoufa Moukoko, and Ansgar Knauff. They also have a new manager in Julian Nagelsmann, who joined from RB Leipzig in May 2023.



Dortmund will hope that Nagelsmann can lead them to their first Bundesliga title since 2012, and challenge for the Champions League trophy as well. They will also hope that Bellingham’s exit will prove to be a blessing in disguise, and that they can move on from his controversial legacy at the club.