Gareth Southgate has warned Jude Bellingham that he will be under intense scrutiny after the England midfielder was fined £25,000 and given a suspended one-match ban by UEFA for a gesture made during the Euro 2024 match against Slovakia.
Southgate admitted the 21-year-old Real Madrid star must be careful, especially with Switzerland potentially trying to provoke him in the quarter-final. Bellingham is one of five England players on a yellow card, meaning another booking would rule him out of a potential semi-final.
The England manager described the UEFA decision as “common sense” and acknowledged the emotional pressure on young players. “Nobody is going to be perfect at 21,” Southgate said. “You are at times going to react emotionally, and without that emotion, I don’t think you have the type of player he is.”
Southgate confirmed he will remind all five booked players—Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo, Kieran Trippier, and Conor Gallagher—about the risk of suspension. However, he stressed that discipline has generally been good across tournaments.
“Jude is an incredible boy to work with,” Southgate added. “The maturity he has to deal with a world that is pretty much different to everyone else’s in the squad. I have a really good relationship with him.”
