Bellingham hasn’t had the perfect start at Dortmund. Despite his strong performances in pre-season and an impressive debut at the Club World Cup, where he scored his first goal, he has struggled to get consistent playing time under coach Kovac. The Dortmund manager has been cautious in using him, especially in big matches like the Champions League opener against Juventus, where Bellingham was left on the bench.
Bellingham was introduced in the 71st minute after replacing Felix Nmecha. This was his second consecutive game coming off the bench for Dortmund, sparking questions about Kovac’s trust in him.
“I understand the questions, but we’re at BVB, and at BVB, there’s a lot of competition and quality in the team,” the coach told reporters. “I know what he can do. He’s 19 years old and new to us. So we don’t need to write anything that’s totally unimportant. The crucial thing is that we perform as a team; everyone is part of that.”
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl also explained the situation, stating: “We’ve put a lot of effort into him (Bellingham) and don’t need a topic about him every three days. In the end, we have a very, very large squad, which gives the coach several options.”
After Bellingham was substituted at halftime in Dortmund’s 3-3 draw with St. Pauli, his parents confronted sporting director Kehl in the tunnel to discuss his early withdrawal. The heated exchange prompted Dortmund to issue a firm reminder that family members are barred from restricted areas and that such incidents must not be repeated.
Despite some commendable performances and taking a two-goal lead in the 86th minute, the Bundesliga club were unable to clinch a win against Juventus as the game ended in a 4-4 draw after two-late strikes from Dusan Vlahovic and Llyod Kelly. Kovac’s side will now be facing Wolfsburg in their next league game on September 21, with the media keeping a close watch on Bellingham’s selection.
