Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, has been given a two-match ban in the Bundesliga following his dismissal for Borussia Dortmund against Freiburg. The 20-year-old English midfielder was sent off in the 53rd minute of Sunday’s 1-1 draw for an “unsporting behaviour” foul on Philipp Treu.
The incident occurred after Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel gave the ball away, leaving Treu with a clear run on goal. At the time, Dortmund led 1-0, but the red card ultimately contributed to the match finishing level. The German football federation’s sports court confirmed the sanction on Monday.
This suspension marks the first time Bellingham will miss a Bundesliga game since his summer move from Sunderland. He will sit out Friday’s fixture against Borussia Moenchengladbach and the subsequent away match at Eintracht Frankfurt on January 9.
Bellingham has had an inconsistent start at Dortmund, where his brother Jude developed into a world-class midfielder. He debuted for the club at the Club World Cup last season, scoring in his second appearance, but has not found the net since. Despite featuring in all 23 of Dortmund’s matches this season across competitions, he has only started 10 times.
The red card came on the same day Bellingham’s former club Sunderland beat Newcastle 1-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby, thanks to an own goal by Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade.
