The one-match ban is suspended for a year
UEFA have confirmed that Jude Bellingham will be allowed to play for England against Switzerland despite a controversial goal celebration.
Bellingham has been handed 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 that the ban will only apply if there is a further incident in the next year.
He has also been fined a total of €30,000 (£25,400) due to the explicit gesture.
The 21-year-old posted on X following the game claiming that the celebration was an ‘inside joke’ aimed at his friends who were inside the stadium.
He said: “An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game. Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight.”
It will come as a huge relief to Gareth Southgate and the rest of the England squad after Bellingham scored two of England’s four goals so far this tournament.
The FA has also been fined for ‘crowd disturbances’ and for lighting fireworks.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Merih Demiral wasn’t so lucky as he received a two-match ban for performing an extremist ‘wolf salute’ in their win over Austria.
Demiral scored twice to send his side through to the quarter-finals but will now miss their game against the Netherlands due to the controversial celebration.
The governing body confirmed he had been banned for two matches ‘for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute’.
More to follow.
