Borussia Dortmund have implemented new protocols restricting access to the dressing room area after an incident involving the parents of midfielder Jobe Bellingham following their 3-3 draw with St Pauli on Saturday.
Jobe Bellingham, who joined Dortmund from Sunderland for £32 million in the summer, made his Bundesliga debut but was substituted at half-time by coach Nico Kovac. His parents, Denise and Mark, were reportedly unhappy with the decision and the result.
According to Sky Sports Germany, Mark Bellingham confronted Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl after the match, voicing his displeasure loudly in the corridor outside the dressing room. German outlet BILD reported that Mark then demanded to speak with Kovac, making his opinion clear.
Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken confirmed the incident, stating: 'We got Jobe Bellingham because we really built a relationship of trust with the parents over the years. Now the family flew in especially for their son's first Bundesliga game and wanted to meet Jobe after the game. They stood in the hallway to the locker room and had an emotional conversation with Sebastian, which, however, is not a problem at all given this relationship.'
Ricken added: 'In the future though, we will ensure that [only] players, coaches and any officials have access to the locker room area, so that we no longer get into trouble by commenting on such news. But today everything has been resolved, no drama.'
Kovac, who also substituted Karim Adeyemi at half-time, criticised his team's performance, saying: 'We failed to match the opponent in terms of physicality and strength. We played too slowly and rarely exploited depth.'
