"He has similarities to Kaka" - Carlo Ancelotti claims current Real Madrid star has comparable qualities to the 2007 Ballon d'Or winner
Carlo Ancelotti has compared Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham to Kaka. He claims that there are similarities between the two and the Englishman is more similar to the Brazilian than Zinedine Zidane.
Speaking to the media, Ancelotti claimed that Bellingham has not been handed the responsibility of scoring goals. However, the England international has managed to step up and deliver and has been working hard. He was quoted by Football Espana as saying:
"No, I don't think we have ever asked Bellingham to score goals. He is doing it because he has this fantastic ability to reach the opponent's area at the right time. The respect we have for him is for the work he does… not for the goals. He is greatly respected for what he does on the field, which goes far beyond goals. He is a humble and hardworking boy. Entering the Madrid dressing room is easy."
He added:
"I have never seen Di Stefano play. In the previous press conference I made the comparison with Zidane… and… well, I am surprised by him, I would say the closest thing is like the first time I saw Kaka. I'm not saying that he is similar to him, but he has similarities to Kaka."
Bellingham has scored 15 goals in 16 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid this season. He also has four assists and been the club's player by a distance.
Jude Bellingham was compared with Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane
Jude Bellingham was compared with Zinedine Zidane earlier this season after his impressive start to the season. He was delighted with the links but Carlo Ancelotti was quick to shoot down the talks and said it was difficult to compare the two.
He had said via ESPN:
"It's difficult to compare two different generations. What I see is [Bellingham's] ability to get into the box. Zidane didn't have that. And the individual quality which Zidane had, Bellingham doesn't have. But that's modern football. Modern football requires physical players like Bellingham, who can cover a lot of the pitch quickly."
Jude Bellingham suffered a dislocated shoulder early in November and has been playing with protection. He has been recommended surgery, but Real Madrid is waiting to see if it has to be done immediately or can be delayed.