The relationship between Tuchel and Bellingham has not been without its friction. The manager previously described Bellingham’s on-field behaviour during a defeat against Senegal as “repulsive,” a remark for which he later apologised. Further tension arose in November when Tuchel stated he would “review” the player’s behaviour following a visible reaction to being substituted during a qualifier against Albania.
Injuries have also played a role in Bellingham’s interrupted rhythm. He missed qualifying matches due to a shoulder injury and was even overlooked for the October international camp. Despite these setbacks, Tuchel was quick to praise the midfielder’s impact during the recent warm-up victory over New Zealand in Tampa, where Bellingham wore the captain’s armband after being introduced at half-time.
“You can see Jude has for sure the decisiveness and bite,” Tuchel said after the 1-0 win. “This is his key characteristic, but you can see that he comes from an injury and is full of energy and happy to be back on the pitch. He had his break, unfortunately, in a decisive part of the season, the Champions League season and campaign for the championship in Spain, so this was very unfortunate for Real Madrid and for him personally.”
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