- Jude Bellingham wore Adidas Predators as a nod to Zinedine Zidane
- Trent Alexander-Arnold teased the new football boots during Liverpool’s draw with Man City
- Was Garnacho’s bicycle kick REALLY the best ever? Listen to the debate about It all starts
Jude Bellingham grabbed a chip from Zinedine Zidane’s block in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Napoli in the Champions League.
The Los Blancos midfielder wore previously unreleased Adidas Predator boots, similar to the ones Zidane used to wear.
Trent Alexander-Arnold did the same against Manchester City after signing a £26 million deal with the sportswear giants, joining Bellingham.
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Adidas Predators and the brand is teasing the release of a new edition of the boots once worn by Zidane, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.
But Bellingham could take the Zidane inspiration further by taking over the number 5 shirt, once the Frenchman’s shirt number.
Jude Bellingham teased the new Adidas Predator boots by wearing them in a throwback look for Zinedine Zidane during Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Napoli on Wednesday
Zidane wore the boots when he scored Madrid’s winner in the 2002 Champions League final
Trent Alexander-Arnold also wore the boots after signing a £26 million contract with Adidas
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Against Napoli, unlike his teammates, he also wore a long-sleeved shirt, a reference to Zidane’s garment from the 2002 Champions League final.
That day, Zidane scored a legendary volley against Bayer Leverkusen in a 2-1 win, and Bellingham was on the scoresheet at the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.
Bellingham scored Madrid’s second goal, while Rodrygo, Nico Paz and Joselu also scored to maintain the side’s 100% record in the Champions League this season.
He celebrated his goal by sticking out his tongue and later posted a video with the caption ‘the tongue is back’, referring to his shoes.
Napoli did well when Walter Mazzarri returned to the dugout in Europe’s elite competition, but were overpowered by a superior Madrid team.
Adidas couldn’t have many better representatives than the media-friendly Bellingham, who has 22.9 million Instagram followers and has had a record-breaking start in Madrid, scoring 15 goals in 16 games.
Their new football boots have got off to a flourishing start as Alexander-Arnold also scored against Manchester City to silence Etihad.
Adidas will release a new edition of the shoes in 2024, as it is their 30th anniversary
Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold was inspired by Steven Gerrard’s winning performance in the 2005 Champions League final as the Reds came from behind to triumph in Istanbul
Alexander-Arnold, backed by 10.4 million Instagram followers, is another coup for Adidas after cutting ties with Under Armour.
The Liverpool vice-captain has worked at Under Armor since his breakthrough as a teenager, but was convinced by the lucrative offer from Adidas.
He gets his own signature range with the German manufacturers and has worn Adidas Predators since the age of six, inspired by Gerrard’s performance in the 2005 Champions League final with them.
He said: ‘Every time I had the ball at my feet I made sure I had those boots on. Istanbul was what really inspired me at the time. That game, those players, the shoes. Those boots never left my bag. I think I always knew I would come back one day.”