Uefa has fined England midfielder Jude Bellingham €30,000 and given him a suspended one-game ban for a gesture he made while celebrating his goal against Slovakia in the European Championship last-16 match.
The governing body charged Bellingham with “violating the basic rules of decent conduct” after he was seen shouting “Who else?!” and then kissing his hand and grabbing his crotch in what appeared to be a gesture directed towards the Slovakian bench or supporters.
Bellingham explained on social media that the gesture was an “inside joke” towards some friends who were at the game, and that he meant no disrespect. However, Uefa’s ethics and disciplinary inspector still decided to impose a fine and a suspended one-match ban on the Real Madrid player.
The suspension is not immediately enforced and is subject to a probationary period of one year. This means Bellingham will be available for England’s crucial quarter-final match against Switzerland on Saturday.
Bellingham could have faced a much harsher punishment, with Uefa able to impose a fine of up to €100,000 and a suspension for a specified number of matches. The England Football Association was also fined €10,000 for crowd disturbances during the Slovakia game, and an additional €1,000 for the lighting of fireworks.
Overall, while Bellingham has been sanctioned, the relatively lenient punishment means he will not miss any important matches for England during their European Championship campaign.
