Bellingham handed suspended one-game Euros ban for crotch grab celebration

Jude Bellingham is available for England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final with Switzerland after he was given on Friday a suspended one-game ban for his controversial celebration after scoring against Slovakia in the previous round.

In a statement, European football’s governing body UEFA said that Bellingham would be fined 30,000 euros ($32,477) and suspended “for a total of one UEFA competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible for violating the basic rules of decent conduct”.

“Said suspension is not immediately enforced and is subject to a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision,” UEFA added.

Bellingham was filmed mimicking a crotch grab while apparently looking towards Slovakia’s bench after his spectacular stoppage-time equaliser which kept England in the tournament.

Bellingham will almost certainly start for England in Duesseldorf on Saturday evening after his reprieve from UEFA’s Ethics and Disciplinary body. 

The Real Madrid star has scored twice in four matches in Germany as England have reached the last eight without putting in a single convincing performance.

England take on Switzerland with a great chance to finally break a 58-year major tournament duck as they sit on the other side of the knockout bracket to all of the other tournament favourites.

A win over the Swiss, who dumped out Italy in the last 16 and also impressed in a Group A draw with hosts Germany, would set up a semi-final with Turkey or the Netherlands.

Meanwhile Germany face Spain and Portugal do battle with France on the other side of the bracket.

Under Gareth Southgate, England reached the last Euros final and went deep at the last two World Cups only to fall short, in the semi-finals in 2018 and the last eight four years later in Qatar.