Jude Bellingham forced to collect La Liga trophy behind closed doors after Real Madrid snub
Jude Bellingham is set to lift his first league title behind closed doors after Real Madrid reportedly rejected the idea of celebrating their La Liga win when they face Granada next weekend.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side were confirmed as La Liga champions on Saturday after a 3-0 win over Cadiz thanks to rivals Barcelona suffering a 4-2 defeat against Girona. The Spanish football federation is responsible for handing over the trophy and they were planning to do so on Saturday.
However, according to a report from ESPN, Real have rejected their proposal as they were ‘reluctant for the ceremony to take place away from home’. Instead, they are now set to receive the trophy in a ‘private event’ at their training ground the following day.
The triumph is Real’s second league title in three years in Carlo Ancelotti’s second spell in charge, but the squad remain fully focused on their upcoming clash with Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The tie is finely poised after the first leg ended 2-2, with Vinicius Jr netting a brace for Real and Leroy Sane and Harry Kane finding the back of the net for Bayern. “On Saturday we were happy to have won the league,” Ancelotti told reporters ahead of the game.
“But we had to control our happiness because we had to prepare for this game. Now the league is put to one side. On Thursday we’ll think about celebrating.
“We aren’t optimistic, but we’re very excited. It could be another magical night for us and our fans. But there’s no optimism. There’s an awareness of the difficulties we could face in the game.”
Real Madrid are set to be presented with the LaLiga trophy behind closed doors
And Bellingham has been key to Real’s success this season after making a big money move to the Bernabeu from Borussia Dortmund last summer. The England international has thrived playing much further forward, having netted 22 goals in all competitions so far.
Reflecting on his decision to join Real, Bellingham said last month: “I had good chats with clubs, including Dortmund. My family were great in helping me chew up that information, because it’s difficult, while you’re still in the season, to take in the information and process it and still have to play at the weekend or in the Champions League.
“I had conversations with other teams, but when Madrid came in, it was a no-brainer really. The size of the club, the project, the plan going forward, the chance to play with such amazing players. I just jumped at it. That’s why I made my decision.”
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