Jude Bellingham has been cleared to play for England in their Euro 2024 quarter-final match against Switzerland after receiving a one-match suspended ban and a fine for a gesture he made during the last-16 victory over Slovakia. The 21-year-old midfielder was investigated by Uefa for a crotch-grabbing gesture towards the Slovakian bench after scoring a late equalizer in the 2-1 win.
Bellingham, who has previously made the same gesture while playing for Real Madrid, denied that it was directed towards England’s opponents. He explained on social media that it was an “inside-joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game” and reiterated his respect for Slovakia.
The young midfielder has been a key player for England in Euro 2024, starting all four matches and scoring two goals, including a dramatic 95th-minute overhead kick against Slovakia. The quarter-final match against Switzerland will take place in Dusseldorf at 17:00 BST and will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 Live, and the BBC Sport website and app. All 26 players in Gareth Southgate’s squad participated in training on Friday morning.
In other news, the Football Association has been fined £9,310 (11,000 euros) for crowd issues involving England supporters, including crowd disturbances and lighting fireworks. On the other hand, Turkey defender Merih Demiral has received a two-match ban for a gesture he made during Turkey’s last-16 victory against Austria. The 26-year-old scored both goals in the 2-1 win and celebrated his second goal with a ‘wolf salute’, a gesture associated with the far-right extremist group Grey Wolves.
This gesture is prohibited in Austria and France, and is closely linked to Turkey’s ruling coalition party, the National Movement Party. Turkey will face the Netherlands in Berlin, with the match scheduled to kick off at 20:00. Despite Demiral’s ban, England will have Bellingham available for their crucial quarter-final clash against Switzerland.