15 June 2023 , 12:18
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Jude Bellingham has admitted Real Madrid's Champions League final victory over Liverpool played a part in his decision to join the Spanish giants.
Los Blancos beat Jurgen Klopp's side 1-0 in the 2022 showpiece in Paris, denying the Premier League team a treble of cups. Carlo Ancelotti's men also knocked Liverpool out of the 2022-23 edition of the Champions League before falling at the hands of Manchester City in the semi-finals.
Bellingham was speaking at his unveiling as a Real Madrid player, following the confirmation of his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund. The Spanish side will pay an initial £88m, and the fee could eclipse Jack Grealish's £100m record for an English footballer if all add-on clauses are met.
"The exact moment [I decided to join] is difficult to say," Bellingham told reporters. "I was at the Liverpool final... It was a combination of things," he added, while saying that victory was a "huge factor" in his decision
"I've always been aware [of Real Madrid's interest], but the key moment was 8 or 10 months ago, when my father told me that Madrid had asked about me," he added. "I didn't expect it"
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Bellingham joins after a second-place finish in Germany with Dortmund. The Bundesliga side fell short on the final day of the season, with the England midfielder forced to watch on from the bench after injury troubles.
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Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final (Getty Images)There has been interest from the Premier League, which could have resulted in a bigger pay packet. However, Bellingham said money was not behind his choice.
"Money is not that important to me, I never think about money when I make these types of decisions," he said, per Marca. "Football is the sport that I love. I loved the feeling that Real Madrid gives off and I spoke with Borussia so that everything was fast"
"What has impressed me the most has been during the signing, being in the room with the 14 European Cups," added Bellingham, who will take the number five shirt previously worn by Zinedine Zidane. "They have made me want to win one."
Madrid have won the Champions League five times since Zidane scored the winner in the 2002 final, and the Frenchman was in the dugout for a number of those triumphs. Over the last 10 editions of the competition, Los Blancos have five victories and three semi-finals.
"The shirt itself is a great responsibility," said Bellingham, who also insists he is unfazed by the transfer fee. "He is a player I have always valued, for me he has been the best. I want to expand the legacy of the number"