Dietmar Hamann has claimed that a potential ban on Jude Bellingham, following his eccentric gesture after England’s dramatic win over Slovakia, would be a “blessing for Gareth Southgate”.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who scored a spectacular equaliser with a bicycle kick in the 95th minute of England’s last-16 match against Slovakia on Sunday, is currently under investigation by UEFA after he appeared to grab his genitals while celebrating his goal.
Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that UEFA had written to the Real Madrid midfielder asking him to explain the action and gave the England star three days to respond, with the Real Madrid star having previously stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the gesture was an “inside joke towards some close friends who were at the game.”
Despite his heroics, concerns have been raised over the England star’s performances at Euro 2024, with some, including Hamann, claiming Bellingham has not reached the heights of what we expect from the Real Madrid star and should be dropped, along with Phil Foden and Harry Kane.
If found guilty, Bellingham could face a ban for the action, but there is no timetable on when the investigation could be completed as England face Switzerland in their decisive quarter-final clash against Switzerland on Saturday.
But former Germany international Hamann, 50, has insisted that if Bellingham were to receive a ban it could be a “blessing” for England manager Gareth Southgate, who has come under fire for his team selections of late.
“Gareth Southgate should have made the decision to take off Bellingham or Phil Foden earlier,” he told IMAGE.
“Now he may be forced to get lucky if Bellingham is suspended. If he has to sit out, that could even be a blessing. That could even help the team. Something has to give.”
The former defensive midfielder, who made 59 appearances for Germany, also criticised Bellingham’s behaviour.
After the England star scored his sensational overhead kick, he shouted “Who else?” to the fans in the stadium, a celebration that did not sit well with the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich star.
“I don’t like his behaviour,” Hamann said. “Two and a half years ago in Dortmund he made a statement about referee Felix Zwayer, which he escaped a fine for but which, in my opinion, should have been punished.”
In December 2021, Bellingham had criticised Zwayer after Borussia Dortmund suffered a 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. The former Dortmund star stated: “You give him a referee who has postponed games before the biggest game in Germany. What did you expect?”
Hamann added, on Bellingham’s ‘Who else?’ celebration: ‘Without your teammates you are nothing, and if he stands up and says that then I would be interested to hear what his teammates say. Apart from his goals, he was not seen in the first four games.
“I would wait and see where he is in two or three years. There’s no need to talk about how talented he is, but some things have happened that shouldn’t be done.”
Following England’s 2-1 win over Slovakia, in which Harry Kane scored the winner in the first half of added time, Bellingham gave some insight into the reason for his “Who else?” celebration, stating that it was down to “the adrenaline rush” he experienced after scoring that sensational overhead kick.
“It’s a feeling like no other,” Bellingham said during a press conference after the match. “In international football, in knockout football, it’s an even worse feeling, because you’re 30 seconds away from going home, having to listen to all the nonsense, feeling like you’ve let a nation of people down.
“With just one shot, everything can change. It’s a feeling I don’t like to have, but when I have it, I feel great.”
But to continue…
