Jude Bellingham: Disciplinary decision made over England star’s controversial goal celebration

Jude Bellingham will be allowed to play for England in its crucial match against Switzerland – and the rest of the Euro 2024 tournament – despite a controversial goal celebration.

The England star was investigated by UEFA over a gesture he made during England’s game against Slovakia – after he scored an equaliser in injury time to keep the Three Lions’ hopes alive.

He has been given a one-match ban – but that is “subject to a probationary period of one year, starting from the date of the present decision”.

This means the ban will only apply if there is a further incident in the next year.

He has been fined a total of €30,000 (£25,400).

The Real Madrid star, 21, posted on X about the gesture in the hours after the match, describing it as an “inside joke”.

“An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game,” he said. “Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight.”

The decision will come as a relief to England, who play Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Two-goal Bellingham is currently their joint top scorer of the tournament so far, along with Harry Kane.

A potential match ban would have also come as a huge blow to manager Gareth Southgate, who has struggled to strike a balance with his team selections.

The FA is also being fined €10,000, (£8,500) for “crowd disturbances” during the same game, and €1,000 (£850) for the lighting of fireworks.

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In a separate ruling about the Turkey v Austria game in Leipzig on Tuesday, UEFA has suspended Turkey’s Merih Demiral for two matches.

It comes after he made a wolf salute towards the crowd, which the governing body said amounted to “failing to comply with the general principles of conduct, violating the basic rules of decent conduct, using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature, and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute”.