The beginning of Jobe Bellingham's nightmare.

Jobe Bellingham is gradually falling into a spiral of pressure, mistakes, and off-field troubles.

In the summer of 2025, when Dortmund announced the signing of Jobe Bellingham, many believed the Ruhr club had acquired a "version 2.0" of Jude – who had shone brightly at Signal Iduna Park before moving to Real Madrid. But after only a few months, that dream faded, giving way to a series of troubles both on and off the pitch.

It all started off poorly. Jobe was frequently benched in the early part of the season, unable to break into Niko Kovac's starting lineup. And when the opportunity arose in the "German Clasico" against Bayern, the 19-year-old single-handedly put himself in the eye of the storm.

Introduced in the second half, Jobe made a mistake in a challenge that led to Dortmund's second goal. That error left the yellow-and-black team with virtually no way out, and defeat was inevitable. The name "Bellingham Jr" quickly became a symbol of the team's immaturity.

But the professional mistakes were just the tip of the iceberg. A verbal clash between his father, Mark Bellingham, and Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl a few weeks earlier had caused a rift within Dortmund. According to German media, Mark was unhappy that his son wasn't being given opportunities, while the club insisted Jobe needed "time and humility" to develop.

From then on, the relationship between the Bellingham family and Dortmund became strained, putting Jobe under double pressure: from the media and from the expectations of his own family.

Amidst the wave of criticism directed at his young compatriot, Harry Kane, who scored for Bayern in that match, spoke out in his defense: “It was a difficult situation for him. Jobe was trying to clear the ball but Olise reacted faster. It’s a shame, but he has to keep going and work harder.”

Kane's words sounded like advice for a player who was lost in his own dreams.

Jobe never hid his desire to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Jude. But Jude Bellingham's success at Real Madrid – from his Champions League goals to his European Young Player of the Year award – inadvertently cast too large a shadow over him.

Now, with his career faltering, Jobe needs patience and resilience more than ever. Because Dortmund, and German football in general, have seen many young players decline simply because they couldn't handle the pressure of expectations.

If he cannot escape the label of "Jude's younger brother," Jobe Bellingham risks becoming the next sad example in a long list of talents whose careers are prematurely cut short by the fame of their own families.