Gary Lineker breaks silence on Jude Bellingham England row as UEFA investigate

Former Leicester City and England striker Gary Lineker has hit out at "celebration police" as it emerged UEFA will look into a gesture made by Jude Bellingham on Sunday as the Three Lions beat Slovakia.

Real Madrid star Bellingham scored a crucial equaliser after Ivan Schranz brought Slovakia within minutes of victory in the round of 16. England went on to win the match in extra time, with captain Harry Kane sealing a nervy 2-1 victory to set up a quarter-final against Switzerland.

Bellingham's involvement in the next round hangs in the balance, with UEFA investigating an apparent crotch-grabbing gesture as England celebrated. Players have been handed bans for offensive gestures in other competitions, but Lineker urged restraint from the governing body.

"For crying out loud, the @EURO2024 celebration police are looking into @BellinghamJude. Ridiculous!" Lineker wrote on social media on Monday.

"Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector will conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of the basic rules of decent conduct by the English FA player, Jude Bellingham, having allegedly occurred in the scope of this match," a UEFA spokesperson said of the 21-year-old's action.

Bellingham had earlier attempted to put the gesture into context. "An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game," the midfielder wrote on social media. "Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight."

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The equaliser was the latest in a long line of big late goals for Bellingham. The former Borussia Dortmund star hit a stoppage-time winner against Union Berlin in his first Champions League game for Los Blancos, and also broke Barcelona hearts in the final stages of El Clasico in October.

"I know what I can deliver in those moments," Bellingham said. "I've done it for Madrid this year, I've done it for England before. If it ends up being one that helps us lift the trophy, then it will be right up there [as the best goal of his career]. But until then, we will see."

"I think the performance was really good until their goal and even afterwards. We had massive control, we were always threatening in the final third. We maybe lacked the little touches to create the big chances but we still had a few that were half-chances and we showed really great quality to maximise. It's going to be important for us going forward."

England's quarter-final opponents Switzerland remain unbeaten in the tournament, having picked up five points - the same number as England - in the group stages. They beat reigning champions Italy in the round of 16, thanks to goals either side of the half-time break from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas.

Gareth Southgate will be forced into at least one change for the last-eight game. Centre-back Marc Guehi, who has started every game in Germany, picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against Slovakia and will miss out through suspension.