Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac has leapt to the defence of his summer signing Jobe Bellingham after a costly mistake from the Englishman allowed Bayern Munich to score the winner in Der Klassiker this weekend. Coming off the bench, Bellingham attempted to clear a cross from Luis Diaz, but the ball got caught under his feet, and Michael Olise capitalised on the mistake.
Bayern blunder from Bellingham
During this weekend’s hotly-anticipated Der Klassiker clash, Bellingham made a critical error that led to Bayern's winning goal in the 78th minute which sealed Bayern's 2-1 triumph. This blunder has drawn significant attention, particularly given Bellingham's high-profile transfer from Sunderland and the added pressure of following in his brother Jude's footsteps at the club. The incident has fuelled discussions about Jobe's adjustment to life in Germany and his progress at Dortmund, but Kovac has defended his young midfielder, stating he was in a difficult situation.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportManager defends Jobe’s performance
Kovac said: "I can’t find any fault with Jobe. He was standing where he needed to be. The ball was played in so sharply. It was an artistic feat in its own right that he didn’t score an own-goal. When a ball is played in so sharply, his first task is to hold his centre of gravity. He had his head down and Olise took advantage of this split second and slid in. That’s not a simple (situation). There’s no fault. I think that everything is fine with that situation."
The Dortmund boss also claimed that the first goal, scored by Harry Kane, should have been ruled out due to a push from the Bayern striker on Serhou Guirassy. Kovac said: "There was a brief contact (with Guirassy). But I have to say one thing, (referee) Bastian Dankert whistled today in such a way that he should have whistled that. He blew the whistle on everything, so he should have whistled that too. If he had let the play continue in other situations, then he can let that too. But for me, that was a clear mistake because of his decision to whistle everything. He should have disallowed it."
Rising star, with big shoes to fill
Even at a young age, Bellingham has already had an eventful career. After coming through Birmingham City's academy and making his debut at 16, he made 24 league appearances for the club. He then joined Sunderland in 2023, where he truly established himself, making 85 appearances and scoring 11 goals in the Championship over two seasons. He played a key role in Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League and was named the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season, but left in the summer for a club-record £27 million ($36.2m) fee to Borussia Dortmund. Bellingham has also represented England at various youth levels up to Under-21.
Getty/GOALBrotherly love and link with Man United
Jobe is just starting out life in the Bundesliga and will be hoping to emulate his big brother, whom he remains close to, despite the distance between the two teams they represent. Jude is currently in exile from the England team, following a shoulder injury, and Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has hinted it won't be easy for him to regain his place. Bellingham has missed the last two international windows, and in a recent social media post, he shared a series of images and videos, the theme being legendary American musician Frank Sinatra, and wrote in the caption, "That's life". The post left his brother Jobe confused, as the Borussia Dortmund star wrote in the comments, "Ehhh?"
Meanwhile, recently reported that Premier League giants Manchester United are closely monitoring Jobe Bellingham with a view to potentially bringing the youngster back to his homeland. The report adds that Red Devils boss Amorim is an admirer of the midfielder, and he believes that Bellingham would nicely fit his complex 3-4-2-1 setup, as his physical strength will be of great use at the centre of the park.