Jude Bellingham could break the hearts of former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final – but at least the England star would offer them a decent payday in return
Borussia Dortmund are in line to receive a multi-million pound windfall even if they lose the Champions League final – all thanks to Jude Bellingham.
German giants Dortmund sold Bellingham to Real Madrid last summer for an initial £88million, with the England international going on to win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup during his incredible first season in the Spanish capital. Bellingham, 20, could make it three trophies when Madrid play in the Champions League final at Wembley next month – coincidentally against Dortmund.
BVB will, of course, be desperate to win their second ever European Cup but if Bellingham were to end up on the winning side, they’ll at least have a silver lining in the form of a savvy add-on inserted into his transfer deal. According to German newspaper Bild, Dortmund will receive a further €5million (£4.3m) from Madrid should Los Blancos claim their 15 crown in London.
In addition, if the 20-year-old is included in UEFA’s official Champions League Team of the Season – which is now an extremely likely prospect, despite his semi-final struggles against Bayern Munich – then the Bundesliga club will be due another €2m (£1.7m). Dortmund will also pocket €15.5m (£12.9m) if they finish as runners-up, taking their potential losing total to €22.5m (£19.3m).
That’s actually more than the €20m (£17.2m) sum which Dortmund would receive by winning the final on Saturday, June 1. Still, their focus is all about what happens on the pitch, just like Bellingham’s. Speaking to TNT Sports after booking a reunion with his team-mates, the midfielder said: “At Wembley, against Dortmund, it’s a weird one.
“I can’t believe it. I’m so looking forward to it, the atmosphere, the game itself.” Asked if he’d have preferred to face another team in the final, Bellingham replied: “I think at this point of the competition, anyone who’s still in it or anyone that’s got to the final deserves to be there.
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“So to cherry pick would be unfair. We’ve got here because we deserve to, they’ve got there because they deserve to, and that’s what the final is all about and hopefully it will be a great game.”
The Birmingham City academy graduate knows the pressure he’ll be under, too, with Madrid’s knack for winning the Champions League meaning that he “can never be settled” at the club. “They talk about how they won the 14th, how they want the 15th. You can never be settled,” Bellingham added.
“The players feel like family, the fans feel like family. When I was seven years old in Birmingham, I was dreaming of nights like this.”
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