In the Round of 16 of the European Championship, Bellingham scored a stunning overhead kick in stoppage time, helping England to a 2-1 comeback victory over Slovakia. Bellingham’s celebration after the goal has sparked controversy.
Bellingham appeared to make a grabbing gesture, with some claiming it was directed towards the Slovakia bench. Bellingham denied the accusations, saying, “It was just a joke with some close friends who were watching the game. I have nothing but respect for Slovakia’s performance tonight.”
Despite Bellingham’s claims of innocence, he now faces an investigation by UEFA and could be suspended for the quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday. 
However, news now emerged that Bellingham has performed the same celebration before, suggesting it was indeed a joke among friends and not a spur-of-the-moment provocation. He made the exact same gesture when scoring the winning goal for Real Madrid in the national derby. He hopes this will be enough for UEFA to declare him innocent.
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