Jobe Bellingham has been sent a clear warning over his game time at Borussia Dortmund, as head coach Niko Kovac claims the teenager ‘isn’t doing himself any favours’ amid fierce competition for places.
The 19-year-old joined Dortmund from Sunderland last summer in a £32million package deal, but he has only been used sparingly since his move.
After starting the first two Bundesliga matches of the season, minutes have been hard to come by for Bellingham, and Kovac has stressed that places are won in training and how you perform on the pitch, not because of your reputation.
Speaking to Kicker, Kovac said: ‘Everyone wants to play every minute, but then you only need 11 players.
‘When you sign a contract here, it is not only well paid, it also means there is a hell of a lot of competition.’
Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha are currently preferred in the middle of the park by Kovac, ahead of Bellingham.
Jobe Bellingham, 19, has struggled to nail a starting place down at Borussia Dortmund
Head coach Nico Kovac has stressed that players can’t rely on their reputation in order to get game time
The Dortmund boss made sure to state that it’s clear Bellingham is a ‘very talented player’, but to ensure he meets the demands of the Bundesliga, he must ‘grow into the game here’.
His start to life in western Germany has been rather different from that of his brother Jude – now at Real Madrid – who hit the ground running after making the move from Birmingham as a 17-year-old in 2020.
And Kovac believes that the burden of the Bellngham name will only serve as a hindrance to Jobe as he tries to make a name for himself in yellow and black.
‘You cannot make the mistake of applying too much pressure, despite the name,’ Kovac continued. ‘I think that is not doing the boy any favours, and the boy is not doing himself any favours.’
Jude was one of Dortmund’s main men between 2020 to 2023, with his performances at Signal Iduna Park earning the midfielder a stunning £113m move to Real Madrid.
With Jobe earning comparisons to Jude early in his career, having both come through Birmingham City’s academy, the teenager has stressed he is seeking to forge his own path in his career.
Having made his Birmingham debut with Bellingham on the back of his shirt, Jobe opted to drop his surname after moving to Sunderland in 2023.
Former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray, who coached Jobe for only a matter of months at the Black Cats, explained that the youngster made the decision to avoid being perceived as living off his brother’s name and achievements.
Bellingham goes by ‘Jobe’ at Dortmund in order to distinguish himself from brother Jude, who played at the club between 2020 and 2023
‘I think he’s trying to create his own identity,’ Mowbray said. ‘He doesn’t want to live off the back of his brother’s name, he wants to be the footballer that he is and show people what he can do.’
The move required approval from the EFL and was done so that the younger of the two brothers could forge his own identity in the sport.
Dortmund appeared to acknowledge Jobe’s decision when announcing his £32m signing earlier this month. The Bundesliga club shared a video to unveil Bellingham, featuring the words ‘The name is Jobe’.
‘I’ve been here before, watching games, hearing the fans chant, feeling the power of these colours, this place stuck with me,’ Bellingham said in the video. ‘Now I’m here again, not to watch and not follow in anyone’s footsteps.
‘The same city, the same stadium, but the story that’s ours to write now.’
