Bellingham plays against Switzerland despite suspension

England star Jude Bellingham has been cleared to play in his team’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday. UEFA investigated the midfielder after he made an inappropriate gesture towards the Slovakian bench on June 30. The Real Madrid star scored the equaliser in the match just before the end, then grabbed his crotch as he looked at his opponents. England eventually won the match and progressed in the tournament.

Cameras have caught Bellingham making the gesture several times during his time playing for Real since joining the club in 2023. However, the England international was quick to deny that the gesture was aimed at Slovakia. Bellingham took to social media after the previous win to claim it was “an inside joke” with friends at the game. He also noted that he had “nothing but respect for the way Slovakia played.”

Bellingham receives suspension, but this has no impact on the 2024 European Championship

Although Bellingham is eligible to play against Switzerland, he has been banned from playing and fined. UEFA said the midfielder must pay around $32,000. However, the ban is suspended, meaning he will miss an international match at some point next year.

In addition to announcing Bellingham’s punishment, UEFA also announced that Turkish defender Merih Demiral will be banned for two matches for a separate gesture. However, the centre-back’s ban is effective immediately. Demiral scored both of Turkey’s goals in their win over Austria on July 2.

During the triumph, the defender celebrated by making a “wolf salute” with his fingers, a gesture that authorities have banned in Austria and France due to its links to a far-right group. Demiral will now miss his team’s quarter-final match against the Netherlands on July 6. Assuming Turkey can pull off the surprise victory, the defender would also miss the semi-final match.

England’s news of the ban is a relief for the game against Switzerland

England manager Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions’ fans will surely be pleased to see Bellingham play against Switzerland. Although England have disappointed in terms of expectations at Euro 2024, the midfielder has been one of their bright spots on the pitch.

Bellingham not only scored the decisive goal in the last minute against Slovakia, but also the only goal of the game against Serbia. The star has played for England in all but four minutes of his tournament so far.

UEFA’s suspended sentence may seem strange, but it would have been harsh to force the star to miss such an important match. The gesture mentioned above was certainly inappropriate. However, fans want to see the best players at a tournament as big as Euro 2024.

A potential suspension of Bellingham for the match against Switzerland would also have been a devastating blow for England. The Swiss are unbeaten in the competition so far, having recently swept reigning champions Italy, so Switzerland will go into Saturday full of confidence.

England went into the tournament as co-favorites with France. Given the performance of the English, their next match against Switzerland is a gamble. There is no doubt that the Three Lions are much better with Bellingham as a central midfielder.

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