UEFA has opened a disciplinary investigation into England footballer Jude Bellingham over a “possible breach of fundamental rules of behaviour” following a disrespectful hand gesture made after scoring the equaliser against Slovakia.
Bellingham reportedly instructed Gelsenkirchen to move to the Slovakian bench, and in a statement on his social media accounts said the move was a joke towards close friends in the stands, adding: “I respect the way the Slovak team played tonight.”
UEFA said its inspectors would launch a disciplinary investigation into whether Bellingham breached conduct rules “allegedly occurring within the context of the match”.
It is unclear whether the investigation will be completed while the tournament is ongoing. UEFA has yet to conclude a disciplinary investigation it opened over allegations that monkey noises were made during Serbia’s opening match against England.
The inspectors will review the video evidence as part of their investigation and report their findings to UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, which will then decide whether to take any disciplinary action against the players, which could include suspension. The fact that an inspector has been appointed suggests the matter is far from clear-cut.
Bellingham Card Limits
Bellingham could face a suspension for the semi-final if he receives a yellow card in England’s quarter-final against Switzerland.
Bellingham’s suspension will be a major blow for Gareth Southgate and the England squad, who have scored four goals in four games at Euro 2024. Bellingham scored two of their team’s goals.
