England star Jude Bellingham will be able to play in his team’s Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Switzerland on Saturday. UEFA investigated the midfielder following an inappropriate gesture aimed at Slovakia‘s bench on June 30. The Real Madrid star netted a late equalizer in the matchup. He then grabbed his crotch while looking at his opponents. England eventually went on to win the match and advance in the tournament.
Cameras spotted Bellingham making the gesture multiple times while playing for Real since joining the club in 2023. The England international, however, quickly denied the move targeted Slovakia. Bellingham took to social media following the previous victory to claim that it was “an inside joke” with friends at the game. He also noted that he had “nothing but respect for how Slovakia played.”
While Bellingham can feature against Switzerland, he was hit with a ban and fine. UEFA declared that the midfielder must pay around $32,000. The ban, however, is suspended. This means that he will be forced to miss one international match at some point within the next year.
Along with revealing Bellingham’s punishment, UEFA also announced that Turkey defender Merih Demiral faces a two-game ban for a different gesture. Nevertheless, the center-back’s suspension is with immediate effect. Demiral netted both of Turkey’s goals in their win against Austria on July 2nd.
During the triumph, the defender celebrated by making a ‘wolf salute’ with his fingers. Authorities banned the gesture in Austria and France due to its ties to a far-right extremist group. Demiral will now miss his team’s quarterfinal fixture against the Netherlands on July 6th. Assuming Turkey can pull the upset, the defender would then miss the semifinal match.
England manager Gareth Southgate and Three Lions fans will certainly be happy that Bellingham will play against Switzerland. Although England has been disappointing in Euro 2024 considering their expectations, the midfielder has been one of their bright spots on the pitch.
Along with scoring the crucial late goal against Slovakia, Bellingham also netted the only strike of the match against Serbia as well. The star has played all but four minutes for England during the tournament so far.
UEFA’s suspended punishment may seem odd, but it would have been harsh to force the star to miss such a massive match. The aforementioned gesture was certainly inappropriate. Fans, however, want to see the best players at such a big tournament as Euro 2024.
Potentially banning Bellingham for the Switzerland game would have been a devastating blow for England as well. The Swiss side has been unbeaten so far in the competition and recently pushed aside reigning champions Italy. As a result, Switzerland will be full of confidence heading into Saturday.
England entered the tournament as co-favorites with France. Its performances have made the next game against Switzerland a toss-up. There is no doubt that the Three Lions are significantly better with Bellingham as the focal point of their midfield.
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