England’s Jude Bellingham Escapes Immediate Ban for Offensive Gesture

England‘s midfielder, Jude Bellingham, has managed to dodge an instant suspension after allegedly making a controversial gesture while celebrating his pivotal goal against Slovakia at the Euro 2024 tournament.

Bellingham’s availability for the upcoming match at Euro 2024 remains unaffected following UEFA‘s decision to impose a one-game ban, which will not be immediately enforced but will be subject to a probationary period of one year.

Manager of the English national team, Gareth Southgate, expressed his acceptance of the ruling and mentioned that he saw no need to counsel Bellingham on his behavior going forward.

Southgate stated, “I speak to players all the time, so I don’t feel a particular need to spend additional time with Jude on that. He is aware of the investigation, and he’s an intelligent guy.”

In addition to the postponed ban, Bellingham has been fined 30,000 euros by UEFA for what they deemed “violating the basic rules of decent conduct” during the Slovakia match.

During England’s intense match against Slovakia, in which Bellingham scored the crucial equalizer in added time, the player appeared to make a gesture towards his crotch, sparking controversy.

Bellingham clarified his actions stating, “An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game. Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight.”

UEFA also levied a collective fine of 11,000 euros on England due to crowd disruptions and the lighting of fireworks during the same game against Slovakia.

Historically, notable football figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Simeone, and Luis Rubiales have faced similar financial penalties for inappropriate gestures during matches.

Luis Rubiales, the former Spanish soccer chief, was consequently banned by FIFA from involvement in soccer activities until after the men’s 2026 World Cup for his misconduct during an incident in last year’s Women’s World Cup final.

In another recent case, a player was suspended for two matches by UEFA for making a hand gesture associated with an ultra-nationalist group during a celebration in a game against Austria.