Midfielder Receives Suspended Ban and Fine for Gesture Against Slovakia
England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been cleared to play in the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland despite receiving a suspended one-match ban for a gesture he made in the last-16 match against Slovakia.
The Real Madrid star made a gesture towards the Slovakia bench after scoring an overhead kick to force extra time. Bellingham explained on social media that the gesture was “an inside joke towards some close friends,” but UEFA launched an investigation to determine if it violated the basic rules of decent conduct.
On Friday, UEFA announced that Bellingham was fined 30,000 euros (£25,400) and given a suspended one-match ban, which will be triggered if he commits another offense within a year. The Football Association was also fined 11,000 euros (£9,000) for crowd disturbances and fireworks during the Slovakia match.
In other news, Turkey’s Merih Demiral has been suspended for two matches for making a wolf salute, a gesture linked to the far-right movement in Turkey, during a match against Austria. UEFA cited multiple violations, including using sports events for non-sporting manifestations and bringing football into disrepute.
This development follows former Germany international Didi Hamann’s suggestion that Bellingham’s potential ban could benefit England coach Gareth Southgate. Hamann argued that Southgate should have already considered benching Bellingham or Phil Foden to improve the team’s dynamics.
Hamann also criticized Bellingham’s behavior, recalling an incident where Bellingham criticized a referee during his time at Dortmund and got away with a fine instead of a ban.
England will now focus on their upcoming match against Switzerland, with Bellingham available to play.
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