Jude Bellingham: England midfielder cleared to play Euro 2024 quarter-final vs Switzerland – Sky Sports
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Jude Bellingham made a gesture after scoring in England’s Euro 2024 last-16 tie win over Slovakia that was investigated by UEFA; the England No 10 has been handed a suspended one-match ban and a €30,000 (£25,406) fine
Saturday 6 July 2024 16:05, UK
Jude Bellingham has been cleared to play in England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland by UEFA.
The England midfielder, who scored a sensational bicycle kick in the last-16 victory over Slovakia to take the tie into extra-time, was investigated by UEFA over a gesture he made after his celebration.
Bellingham has been handed a suspended one-match ban and a €30,000 (£25,406) fine.
UEFA says the ban “is not immediately enforced and is subject to a probationary period of one year”.
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England boss Gareth Southgate felt UEFA made the right decision over Bellingham’s gesture and has not felt the need to speak to the 21-year-old about the incident.
He told a pre-match press conference: “I thought it was a common sense decision [by UEFA]. Clearly when you score a goal of the quality that he did, at the moment that he did, at the age that he is you’re going to have an incredible rush of adrenaline.
“I think there was no intent in the gesture to anybody other than communication he has with his family.
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“From our perspective, we thought it was a sensible outcome.
“I speak to players all of the time. I don’t feel a particular need to spend additional time with Jude on that. He was aware of the investigation and he’s an intelligent guy.”
The Football Association has also been fined a total of €11,000 (£9,312) for crowd disturbances (€10,000) and the lighting of fireworks (€1,000).
England’s full squad trained on the eve of the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland, including full-back Luke Shaw.
Gareth Southgate‘s side head to Dusseldorf looking to set-up a semi-final clash against Turkey or the Netherlands.
All 26 players trained at their Blankenhain basecamp on Friday before travelling to the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Shaw is pushing to make his first appearance for club or country since sustaining a hamstring issue in February.
Meanwhile, centre-back Marc Guehi, one of England’s star performers at the tournament, serves a one-match ban against Switzerland having picked up two bookings across his four starts.
Sky Sports News’ senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
How best to accommodate Bellingham is becoming a key conundrum. In many ways, he is England’s best player, but also Southgate’s biggest problem.
Southgate could ask him to play deeper than he has done all season for Real Madrid – as a ‘No 8’ rather than a No 10 – but there are concerns that having not played in the role for so long, he may not have the positional discipline to be effective defensively.
There is also a risk that if you give both Bellingham and Phil Foden a free role, they may take up each others’ space and make the same runs – which has been a problem already in this tournament when Foden has drifted in from the left wing.
The other option under consideration, according to sources, is to play either Kobbie Mainoo or Conor Gallagher in a ‘No 6’ role alongside Declan Rice. This would provide the two defensive midfield buffers that have been a common theme of Southgate’s time as England manager, but it will limit the number of offensively-minded players on the pitch.
Read the rest of Rob Dorsett’s analysis on England’s selection dilemmas…
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