The European Football Association (UEFA) announced that Jude Bellingham, the England national team player, was suspended for one match due to his inappropriate behavior during his country’s match against Slovenia in the Euro 2024 tournament.
This decision came after Bellingham scored the equalizer for England in the final moments of stoppage time, with a double overhead kick, which led to the match being extended to extra time, where Harry Kane was able to score the winning goal, ending the match with a score of 2-1 in favor of England.
Bellingham sparked controversy after scoring the goal, when he made an obscene gesture towards the Slovenia substitutes bench, and despite his attempt to justify his behavior on the “X” platform by saying that the move was an “internal joke” directed at his friends present at the match, the European Union dealt with the incident seriously, and summoned the player for investigation. As a result, he was suspended and fined 30,000 euros.
Under UEFA’s decision, the penalty of suspension for a period of one match will not be applied immediately, as it will be suspended for a probationary period of one year starting from the date of the decision, and the penalty will only be activated if inappropriate behavior from Bellingham is repeated during the probationary period.
In a related context, the European Union imposed a fine on the English Football Association amounting to 11 thousand euros, due to the actions of the English fans who disturbed the opponents and lit fireworks during the confrontation with Slovenia.
As for Declan Rice from Arsenal, he will not be subject to any retroactive sanctions, despite the quarrel that occurred between him and Slovenia’s coach, Francesco Calzona, during the match.
It is noteworthy that England is preparing to face Switzerland tomorrow, Saturday, in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, with the hope of continuing its journey in the tournament being held in Germany.
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