England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been cleared to play for his country against Switzerland despite being charged by UEFA for misconduct. Bellingham had faced a potential ban after making an inappropriate gesture during his celebration of a goal against Slovakia in the last-16 tie. However, after an investigation by UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary inspector, Bellingham was fined €30,000 but will not face an immediate suspension. Instead, he has been suspended for one UEFA competition match, which will not be enforced right away and will be subject to a probationary period of one year. This means that Bellingham will be available to play in the crucial quarter-final match against Switzerland.
The incident involving Bellingham was just one part of a larger investigation by UEFA that also resulted in fines for the England Football Association due to crowd disturbances during the Slovakia match. There was also a €1,000 fine for the lighting of fireworks during the game. Despite these penalties, England will have Bellingham on the field for their next match.
Bellingham explained that the gesture was an inside joke directed towards friends in the crowd, not the opposition team. The incident sparked controversy as some believed that it disrespected the Slovakian team. However, after reviewing all evidence and speaking with witnesses, UEFA determined that there was no intent to offend or disrespect anyone and cleared Bellingham to continue playing for England.
