Following England’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Slovakia in the Euro 2024 last 16 match, UEFA has decided not to ban Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice despite their involvement in incidents during the game.
UEFA’s disciplinary review found Bellingham, who made a gesture towards the Slovakia bench, and Rice, involved in a confrontation with Slovakia’s manager Francesco Calzona, not guilty of misconduct. Instead, UEFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the English Football Association for incidents involving fireworks and crowd disturbances.
A UEFA spokesperson stated: “Following the officials’ reports for the ENG-SVK match, UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the English Football Association for lighting of fireworks and crowd disturbances. The CEDB will decide on this case in due course. Players from this match faced no further action.
Bellingham defended himself on social media, attributing his gesture to an inside joke with friends present at the match and expressing respect for Slovakia’s performance. This incident drew comparisons to Diego Simeone’s gesture in 2019, which led to a significant fine for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Meanwhile, the Slovakia boss addressed Rice’s altercation with Calzona in the post match press conference. The Slovakia boss noted that Rice apologized and considered the matter closed.
Despite these off-field incidents, both Bellingham and Rice are expected to be available for England’s upcoming quarter-final clash against Switzerland, pending fitness assessments.
Bellingham reflected on the pressure of playing for England, emphasizing the intense expectations and pride associated with representing the national team.
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