Berlin, May 27 Meeting Real Madrid in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley this Saturday will see the return of a young man who stands for sweet memories in black and yellow. From 2020 to 2023, Madrid's England midfielder Jude Bellingham turned out for Dortmund and soon became the club's talisman and one of football's superstars.
The club staff's children gathered after nearly every game at Signal Iduna to hug the youngster who had become a dear friend. Following his introduction at the club's training camp in the Swiss Alps after having just turned 17, Bellingham started his unprecedented journey on the big stage of international football, reports Xinhua.
The youngster, having helped English second-tier side Birmingham City avoid relegation, stood in front of a group of curious media representatives, before giving a near-perfect introduction that belied his tender years. Four years later, nostalgic feelings might fringe Dortmund's entourage as the prodigal son slipped into the shirt of Real Madrid a year ago and became one of the Spanish outfit's dominant figures.
Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl called the reunion "a fantastic story."
The official added: "He is joining Real and a year later we meet in the Champions League final. That's near to kitschy."
In Dortmund's shirt, the midfielder made his way into the England team while having received the Kopa trophy in October 2023 from French sports paper France Football, which stands for the world's best young player. His meteoric rise made even Dortmund seem too small for his genius. Nevertheless, the gigantic football cosmos of Real appeared as a huge challenge.
Only 12 months later, doubts have been removed like scenery in a theatre, shifting aside to make space for a new chapter. In Spain, Bellingham became one of the club's driving forces. Curiously, rumors are linking Dortmund with his younger brother Jobe, currently under contract at English second-tier side Sunderland.
The 19-year-old is a similar type of player, who is well-equipped for the midfield and the front line. Regardless of the outcome, the name Bellingham stands for top-class football and will presumably forever be around Dortmund. At a rapid speed, Jude Bellingham adopted Real's aura, representing the world's best football club.
The German side not only is facing their former star but "must fight against a mythos."
"But I have the feeling we will manage as we have an open bill with Wembley, with this final," Kehl stated, adding that to meet Bellingham before kick-off would be a very special pleasure.
Despite facing the power of the courted midfielder, Kehl said it's time to turn things for the better for Dortmund, who lost their last Champions League final in 2013 against Bayern Munich.
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