Jude Bellingham opened up about the backlash he received after England failed to get over the line at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions had redemption on the mind when they started their Euro 2024 campaign. Bellingham, who was just a teenager when England lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, arrived in Germany ready to help his nation finish the job this time. Except history repeated itself when England lost in the final against Spain.
Four months after the failure, Bellingham wrote on Instagram that he finally "got [his] smile back in an England shirt." The post came after England secured two dominant UEFA Nations League victories over Greece and Ireland under interim manager Lee Carsley.
Speaking to the media ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Liverpool, Bellingham elaborated on the meaning behind his words and gave some new insight into his experience post-Euro 2024.
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"I think I lost my smile a lot after the Euros when it came to playing for England because I felt like I was a little bit mistreated in comparison to what I contributed," Bellingham said.
The 21-year-old started all seven of England's matches in the competition and logged 671 minutes. Bellingham scored a 95th minute bicycle kick against Slovakia to save the Three Lions' tournament berth and then assisted England's only goal in the final against Spain.
"I felt like some of it was a bit harsh on me," he continued. "I think I felt a bit like the scapegoat, maybe I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself."
After Bellingham managed a 23-goal debut season for Real Madrid that ended with La Liga and Champions League titles, the midfielder received criticism for recording just one goal and one assist all tournament. Plenty of noise was also geared toward ex-England boss Gareth Southgate, who did Bellingham and co. no favors with his stagnant tactics and questionable lineups.
In the aftermath of Southgate's departure, though, Bellingham had nothing but positive words to say about his most recent England camp: "[The November camp] with a lot of new faces really brought out the joy in my game again."
Bellingham clarified his comments about losing his smile never referred to Real Madrid.
"Obviously, I'm annoyed when [Real Madrid] lose, and I get frustrated and upset when we lose, but it's never a case of not being happy," he said. "I'm the luckiest lad in the world. I get to play week in and week out for the biggest club in the world and represent my country."
Bellingham will look keep the smile on his face as Los Blancos travel to Anfield and face the Premier League leaders on Nov. 27.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jude Bellingham Felt Like a 'Scapegoat' After England's Euro 2024 Disappointment.
