Borussia Dortmund have banned all family members from the dressing room and other restricted areas following an incident over the weekend with Jobe Bellingham’s parents.
Bellingham started Dortmund’s first match of the season, making his Bundesliga debut. However, with just 28 touches and 12 passes he failed to impact the game and was hooked at halftime. Dortmund eventually had to settle for a disappointing 3–3 draw vs. St. Pauli.
Following the match, Bellingham’s parents, who made the trip from England to watch the game, where furious at the decision to substitute their son after just 45 minutes.
According to Sky Sports Germany, Mark Bellingham—Jobe’s father—went down to the stadium’s tunnel, a restricted area, and had a long and heated discussion with Dortmund director Sebastian Kehl. Further reports signal that Bellingham’s father was hoping to voice his displeasure with Dortmund boss Niko Kovač.
“We got Jobe Bellingham because we really built a relationship of trust with the parents over the years,” Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken said following the incident. “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.”
However, Ricken also announced that only players, coaches and officials will have access to restricted areas in the future, seeking to avoid another incident. This sentiment was echoed by Kehl, who spoke about the incident a day after the game.
“We’re all disappointed with yesterday’s result,” Kehl said. ”However, the active area is and will continue to be reserved for players, coaches and directors, not families or advisors. This won’t happen again. We’ve made sure all parties involved are aware of this.”
The 21-year-old Bellingham joined Dortmund from Sunderland ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup for a fee worth up to €38million (£32 million, $43.3 million). Following in brother Jude’s footsteps, he’ll hope his upcoming appearances in the Bundesliga are better than the first one—off field issues included.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Borussia Dortmund Take Action After ‘Emotional Conversation’ With Star Player’s Parents.
