“Comparisons are odious” – Spain legend makes interesting claim on Jude Bellingham being compared to Zinedine Zidane
In a recent interview, Spanish veteran Marcos Senna shared his views on fans comparing Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane. While everyone in the footballing fraternity has been raving about Bellingham's blistering start to life in Madrid, Senna surprisingly labeled the comparisons to be revolting.
The English wunderkind has defied all odds after completing a €103m to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. He has racked up 10 goals and three assists in 10 appearances across competitions. Jude Bellingham has excelled in the Madrid midfield so far, providing 1.6 key passes per game and maintaining an impressive passing accuracy of 90% in La Liga.
Moreover, the 20-year-old superstar has also rescued Los Blancos on multiple occasions. He has registered three goals post the 80-minute mark to win his side the game. Consequently, it did not take fans much time to draw parallels between Jude Bellingham and Zinedine Zidane.
Alongside their similar playing positions and their trait of bailing their sides in crucial games, the two also share a commonality when it comes to jersey numbers. While Zidane immortalized the #5 jersey while playing for Real Madrid, Bellingham is continuing his legacy by carrying the same number on his back.
Sharing his two cents about this comparison, Senna stated (via Marca),
"Comparisons are odious. Bellingham is just a young lad, and he's only just started in the league."
"It's true that he's started with impressive numbers. He's a talent that will mark an era, but it's too early to make comparisons. We need to wait for three seasons at Real Madrid to see if Bellingham can be something similar."
Senna, who is a bona fide Villarreal legend, also shared his opinion on Carlo Ancelotti's potential move to Brazil's national team next summer. He said that the Italian manager is capable of demanding what he wants from his players and should not face any adaptation problems if he accepts the offer.
Jude Bellingham also in good form for England
Carrying his tremendous form onto the international stage, Jude Bellingham repaid Gareth Southgate's faith by grabbing a goal and an assist against Scotland last month. He also completed 30 passes in the friendly on September 12, with a passing accuracy of 88%. The Real Madrid youngster also completed four dribbles out of five, rounding off a complete performance.
England eventually ran out 3-1 victors, with Harry Kane and Phil Foden getting the other two goals.
Jude Bellingham was surprisingly left out of England's friendly bout against Australia on October 13, spending the entire game on the bench.
Gareth Southgate's side are scheduled to face Italy on October 17 as part of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. The Three Lions currently sit at the top of their group with 13 points. They just need to avoid defeat against the Azzurri, to ensure qualification in the next year's Euros.