Mourinho fixes at Real Madrid what Xabi Alonso broke

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La Liga

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Real Madrid Rayo Vallecano

13/09/26 17:00:00

1.10 8.50 17.00

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Jude Bellingham, a 23-year-old midfielder and player for Real Madrid, has regained prominence under José Mourinho thanks to a specific change in position and responsibilities. The Englishman has 2 goals and 2 assists in the first three LaLiga matches, all as a starter, after also scoring in the 4-0 win against Málaga.

Mourinho has allowed Bellingham more freedom behind the attack and reduced his defensive duties on the wing. The coach himself explained that he adjusted the team's organization to prevent the midfielder from having to drop back close to the left back position.

🎩 Sir @BellinghamJude.

RealMadridMálaga | LALIGAHighlights | VUELVELALIGA pic.twitter.com/9gb7sVRUoU

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) September 1, 2026

Jude Bellingham Finds Freedom with José Mourinho

Bellingham's new role is already reflected in his numbers. He has been directly involved in 4 goals in 245 minutes in the league, with two goals and two assists, in addition to winning 23 balls in the first three matchdays.

He opened the scoring against Málaga in the 19th minute of the 4-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu. This result helped Real Madrid reach 9 points from 9 possible and maintain a perfect start to the season.

The difference lies in his movements now. Mourinho allows the Englishman to receive the ball in different areas, approach the penalty box, or drop back to the center of the field depending on the play, without turning his defensive shifts towards the left side into a constant obligation.

Bellingham himself has publicly acknowledged that he now has more freedom to decide his position on the field. José Mourinho has also pointed out that they both agreed to change this defensive behavior after analyzing situations from the previous season.

The Change from the Xabi Alonso Era

This new scenario comes after a season in which Bellingham had to take on different roles under Xabi Alonso and later with Álvaro Arbeloa, concluding a rather challenging season, to the point that an exit fee was even considered. The debate about his position persisted during the season, as his ability to contribute from various positions sometimes took him away from areas where he could be more offensively productive.

His first season in Madrid had already shown that impact near the goal. In the 2023-24 season, he ended with 23 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, figures that accompanied the LaLiga and Champions League double achieved by the team.

The current start is bringing him closer to that level of involvement again. Against Real Sociedad, he provided two assists in the 4-1 Madrid victory, and against Málaga, he scored a goal and was close to a second with a shot against the post.

This change is also part of a wider modification in comparison to the team previously managed by Xabi Alonso. Mourinho has started the season utilizing Bellingham as one of the interior references alongside Mbappé, Vinicius, and Valverde, with a different division of defensive responsibilities.

The next test will come after the initial break in the calendar, with LaLiga commitments and the European debut against Inter. Jude Bellingham will face these matches from a position that has already yielded 4 goal contributions in three matchdays, the first sign to gauge if Mourinho's formula will maintain its effectiveness as the competition level rises.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mourinho arregla en el Real Madrid lo que rompió Xabi Alonso