England’s Jude Bellingham Slapped With Fine Following Obscene Gesture

England’s Jude Bellingham was slapped with a €30,000 ($32,493) fine after he made an obscene gesture towards the Slovakia bench. Bellingham scored the game-tying goal off a bicycle kick in the 95th minute of the match. England secured a 2-1 victory over Slovakia after Harry Kane scored a minute into extra time, sending England to the quarterfinals. The late-game heroics saved the Three Lions from an embarrassing exit three years removed from being a finalist in 2020’s Euros.

The English player shouted, “Who else?” when dashing toward fans after his goal. However, the forward was seen kissing his hand and grabbing his privates towards the pitch. Accusations, of course, poured in, saying that Bellingham disrespected the Slovak bench and their supporters. Through a post on X, the forward described the gesture as an “inside joke” for close friends in the stands.

Luke Bosher of The Athletic remarked that the International Football Association Board’s rules state that any “obscene gesture” should be punishable via red card. No red card was given.

Manager Gareth Southgate dodged a bullet, as he will have the forward for Saturday’s match against Switzerland. UEFA gave Bellingham a one-match ban following his actions but deferred the punishment until next year. The forward also dodged an indefinite ban from UEFA tournaments.  England Football was also fined €10,000 ($10,831) for crowd disturbances and €1,000 ($1,083) for using fireworks.

Cristiano Ronaldo was fined €20,000 ($22,700) for making lewd gestures during a Champions League match against Athletico Madrid in 2019, while Spanish Soccer Chief Luis Rubiales grabbed his privates with Queen Letizia and Princess Sofía in attendance following Spain’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final victory over England.

Article by Christian Bongiorno