Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti insists Jude Bellingham has a ‘great relationship’ with Harry Kane despite attempted mind games over last week’s Champions League penalty.
Bellingham, 20, approached his England teammate Kane before the Bayern Munich striker took a penalty in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.
The midfielder tried to say something to Kane before referee Clément Turpin intervened.
Kane, 30, later explained after the match: “I spoke to him afterwards and he said to me: ‘I know you’re going to go to the left of the goalkeeper’. But it was nice for me because I saw the goalkeeper leave a little early and I put him away.
Ancelotti has now played down any potential fallout between Bellingham – who scored 22 goals in his first season for Madrid – and Kane ahead of the semi-final second leg in Madrid on Wednesday, with the aggregate score at 2-2.
Nothing was going to stop Harry Kane from achieving his goal 😤 pic.twitter.com/mR05vjxCPH
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2024
“Jude is a fantastic guy, he respects everyone and he has a great relationship with Harry Kane,” Ancelotti said. “There is no problem.”
Ancelotti appeared to suggest Andriy Lunin would be the goalkeeper for the second leg, despite Thibaut Courtois returning from a long-term injury and keeping a clean sheet against Cadiz in La Liga on Saturday.
“After such a big injury you can’t change the plan because of a great performance,” Ancelotti said when asked if Courtois could start the second leg.
“Courtois needs time now to give the best of himself. He had a great match, with security and confidence, against Cadiz, but he must do his best.
Ancelotti, who was Bayern head coach between 2016 and 2017, also addressed the situation of his Bayern counterpart Thomas Tuchel, who is expected to leave the German club at the end of the season.
“The coaches have a job and an idea, but we have to have the support of the club we are in, because otherwise it won’t work,” Ancelotti said.
“When you don’t have that support, the best thing to do is to improve, as happened at Bayern. And that’s all. I have a great relationship with them.
“When you don’t have the support of the club, the best thing is to separate to avoid problems.”
(Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)