Borussia Dortmund will no longer allow players’ parents in locker room areas following an incident involving Jobe Bellingham’s father.
Mark Bellingham traveled from England to watch his son’s Bundesliga debut at St. Pauli on Saturday. After the match, he reportedly caused a scene in a restricted area when he spoke with sporting director Sebastian Kehl, demanding to know why Jobe was substituted at halftime.
Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken told Sky TV that only players, coaches, and officials will have locker room access in the future. “We’ll ensure we don’t get into a furor again by commenting on such matters,” he said, without detailing the discussion.
Ricken added that the family’s emotional conversation with Kehl was based on trust built over years and that everything had been resolved. Kehl also emphasized that restricted areas remain off-limits to family members and agents.
Bellingham had a disappointing debut as Dortmund drew 3-3 with St. Pauli, being substituted at halftime for Felix Nmecha. His older brother Jude had a more successful debut in 2020 and later moved to Real Madrid in 2023.