Bellingham-Vinicius-Real-MadridGetty/GOAL

VIDEO: Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior among Real Madrid stars to purposely avoid stepping on Man City badge when heading out to train at Etihad Stadium

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  • Real Madrid train at Etihad ahead of blockbuster second-leg
  • Video shows Madrid stars avoiding stepping on City shield
  • Gesture follows tradition in Spain of respecting badge
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    As the players made their way through the tunnel out on to the pitch for their final training session ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League quarter-final second-leg, cameras caught the Los Blancos squad, including Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, diligently avoiding stepping on the City shield embossed on the floor of the corridor.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The gesture follows something of a tradition in Spain of not stepping across a club crest and will be second nature to most of the Madrid squad and has been quickly picked up by Bellingham. Similar footage emerged from a quarter-final clash in 2022 when Atletico Madrid's Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul neatly avoided the same badge in the Etihad tunnel.

  • Jude Bellingham Phil Foden Real Madrid Manchester City 2023-24Getty Images

    WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

    It will be fascinating to see how long the off-field respect can hold when the action gets underway in Manchester on Wednesday evening, with the tie finely balanced after their epic 3-3 first-leg draw.