Jude Bellingham and four of his England colleagues are in danger of missing out on a potential Euro 2024 semi-final.
UEFA are currently probing Bellingham’s alleged crude celebration after he netted a last-minute equaliser in the round-of-16 win against Slovakia.
Even if the England midfielder avoids a ban, he will need to tread carefully in the quarter-finals against Switzerland. This is due to the fact that Bellingham was shown a yellow card in the Slovakia game, and another booking on Saturday would result in a one-match suspension.
The Real Madrid star isn’t the only one who needs to be cautious, as four other England players also have one yellow card each. Right-back Kieran Trippier and forward Phil Foden were both cautioned in the Slovenia match, while midfielder Conor Gallagher received a warning in the 1-1 draw with Denmark.
And on Sunday, both Bellingham and his midfield partner Kobbie Mainoo were booked in the first half. Marc Guehi has already fallen foul of UEFA’s Euro 2024 regulations, having been booked in the third minute of Sunday’s thrilling 2-1 victory.
Guehi had previously been shown a yellow card in England’s final group match against Slovenia, so a replacement will be needed at centre-back for the showdown with Switzerland.
Should Bellingham and his team-mates escape without incident, their prior warnings will be erased. Following the quarter-finals, UEFA resets yellow card accumulations, meaning that a player can only miss the final through receiving a red card during the semi-finals.
In the meantime, Bellingham has been requested to pen a letter of explanation to UEFA regarding his goal celebration against Slovakia – which he is arguing was a joke intended for close friends present at the match.
After his overhead kick, the 21-year-old appeared to make a conspicuous crotch-grabbing gesture while strolling passed the Slovakian bench.
UEFA said in a statement: “[We] will conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of the basic rules of decent conduct by the English Football Association player, Jude Bellingham, having allegedly occurred in the scope of this match. “Information on this matter will be made available in due course.”
Punishment for contravening the code of decent conduct range from a caution, reprimand, a fine upwards of £84,000 or a suspension for a designated number of matches.