Jude Bellingham is all set to make his El Clasico debut when Real Madrid takes on FC Barcelona on Saturday (October 28). This will definitely be the biggest challenge that the Englishman has ever faced in his career so far. It is also probably the most widely-covered and watched match that he will have played in.
The Real Madrid midfielder sustained a little knock in his side’s win over Braga in the Champions League, but has recovered from that. Bellingham has personally confirmed that he is now fully fit for the game. The 20-year-old is keen on scripting his name in the Real Madrid history books by trying to join an illusive group of players to have scored on their El Clasico.
Ahead of the match, Bellingham was involved in an interactive interview with Spanish TV broadcaster Telediaros de TVE. He voiced his excitement at being able to play in this massive game and also opened up on some of his fondest El Clasico memories.
One thing that he seems to fondly remember involves Cristiano Ronaldo. In particular, it has to do with one of his most iconic goal celebrations. Speaking about the Ronaldo thing that has stuck with him, Bellingham said: “I always remember celebrations. I remember Ronaldo at Camp Nou and [doing] calma. Stuff like that sticks with you in your head, the iconic moments.”
The incident that Bellingham is talking about here is the ice-cold celebration that Ronaldo debuted in Real Madrid’s memorable 2-1 win over Barcelona in 2012. Playing in front of a volatile and loud Camp Nou crowd, the Portuguese forward was able to shut down his doubters spectacularly.
He scored a great goal by slotting an impressive effort into the back of the net. After that, Ronaldo just gestured ‘calma calma’ which translates to ‘calm down’. Basically, it was his way of indicating the home fans to shut up and sit down. The celebration instantly became a favourite among the Real Madrid fans and it appears that Bellingham loved that bit of arrogance shown by the Portugal superstar in the game.
A lot of fans have been excited by this revelation made by Bellingham and are hopeful that he replicates it on Saturday. Of course, this match will not be played at Camp Nou – which is currently undergoing major construction work. Instead, Barca are set to host their rivals at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, which can hold over 50,000 strong too.
While some Real Madrid supporters think that this comment indicates that Bellingham is a Ronaldo fanboy, that isn’t the case. The Englishman has often voiced his love and admiration for Lionel Messi, stating his clear preference for the Argentine wizard over Ronaldo.
Despite that, the Englishman clearly has a lot of respect for Ronaldo and will hope to replicate his heroics in the El Clasico too. Bellingham already has millions replicating his own trademark celebration and has gotten many fans to fall in love with it.
The 20-year-old’s ultimate goal will be to help Real Madrid defeat Barca to take total control fo the La Liga title race. However, he will be itching to score in his first-ever Clasico and look to silence the Barca fans in the stadium – just like Ronaldo did a decade ago at the Camp Nou.