The Sun Newspaper

ENGLAND saviour Jude ­Bellingham could escape with a fine over his groin-grab goal celebrations – thanks to ­footage from an El Clasico.The FA will argue that the ace pulled a similar gesture after hitting the back of the net in Real Madrid’s 3-2 ­victory over Barcelona in April – proving Sunday’s ­display was not a dig aimed  at the Slovakian team.England’s Jude Bellingham could escape with a fine over groin-grab goal celebrationCredit: RexFootage from a Real Madrid match. where the player made a similar gesture, could help Jude’s caseCredit: APBellingham faced a ban over claims the antics after his  95th-minute bicycle-kick equaliser were directed at  the rival bench.He  has vowed it was a ­private joke with pals and the Slovakian team are not demanding charges.That means he will be hit with a five-figure fine, leaving him free to play in the rest of the tournament, according to German newspaper Bild.Fans hope footage from El Clasico – the name for any clash between the top-flight ­Spanish teams – will help clear him.READ MORE ON BELLINGHAMFactory worker Ryan Walker, 32, of Birmingham, said: “There’s no way he should be banned.”Ex-Arsenal hero Paul ­Merson added:  “It was just a release – I don’t see much wrong with it myself.”The Three Lions face ­Switzerland in tomorrow’s quarter-final  in Dusseldorf.Bellingham wouldn’t be the first star to face a financial penalty over a pitch gesture.Most read in Euro 2024In 2019, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone was fined £17,000  for a similar one during his side’s 2-0 win over Juventus. Cristiano Ronaldo was later told to pay 20,000 euros for mimicking it.Jude Bellingham defends controversial gesture ‘towards Slovakian bench’ after saving England’s Euro 2024 hopes More

England football superstar Jude Bellingham is at the centre of a firestorm at the Euros in Germany after performing an allegedly X-rated gesture following the thrilling 2-1 win over Slovakia.Uefa are officially investigating the incident in which Bellingham appeared to feign grabbing his crotch towards the opposition bench.Jude Bellingham performed an allegedly X-rated gesture following the thrilling 2-1 win over SlovakiaCredit: APEngland’s chances of winning the Euros could well come down to persuading Uefa that our star man was indeed gesticulating to his matesCredit: GettyAs my own gesture of support, as part of the ‘Justice for Jude’ campaign, I have compiled a list of ten things he might have been trying to communicateBut he’s emphatically denied any suggestion that it was an insult, or aimed at Slovakia’s team or officials, stating on X (formerly Twitter): ‘It was an inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game. Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight.’Watch Piers’ explosive interviews on his Uncensored YouTube channel hereHowever, if the authorities don’t believe him then Bellingham could be banned from Saturday’s crucial quarter-final clash with Switzerland, and possibly more games too if we progress further in the tournament.So, the stakes couldn’t be higher; in fact, England’s chances of winning the Euros could well come down to persuading Uefa that our star man was indeed gesticulating to his mates, and to providing a strong enough explanation of the message he was passing on to have him exonerated.READ MORE FROM PIERS MORGANAs my own gesture of support, as part of the ‘Justice for Jude’ campaign, I have compiled a list of ten things he might have been trying to communicate:1. His CajonesThe best, and most easily provable, excuse is that he was just telling his mates he’s got massive cojones. Jude, a young man with a very healthy ego, used this very signal before when he’s scored huge late goals. Indeed, he did it in April when he netted a last-minute winner for Real Madrid against Barcelona in another El Clasico. Most read in FootballAnd that time, it was towards his own fans so couldn’t possibly be an insult. Frankly, if a 21-year-old footballer can’t boast about having big balls when he scores wonder-goals, then what the hell is the world coming to?2. A medical emergencyIt was a cry for medical help. Jude was informing his mates that he twinged his groin performing the heroic overhead kick that saved England from an early Euros exit, abject ignominy and global mockery. If you study the incredibly skilful manoeuvre he made, it’s very clear that in bending his body into the right place to execute the shot, his lower abdominal area came under severe pressure, and he wanted his mates to tell England’s physio he’d need an urgent massage when he came off the pitch.3. Shopping for LauraHe’s an incredible romantic who was flashing a 5-digit signal (four fingers and a thumb) to his mates to go buy him a bottle of Chanel No5 perfume as a celebratory gift for his girlfriend, Dutch model Laura Celia Valk. He has to keep her happy because their relationship is now being talked up as potentially bigger than Posh and Becks, and right up there with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. This would also explain the fingers-to-nose gesture which was obviously him telling them to keep it quiet and not let her get a whiff of his present before he gave it to her.4. Wanted a cuppaHe was making an urgent cupping gesture to denote that he and Harry Kane both wanted cups of tea after the game. Jude barely drinks alcohol, and Harry is teetotal. The fact he deliberately moved his fingers to his parched lips after the cupping signal is further evidence that it was all very clearly a request for his mates to make them much-needed, medically recommended, soothingly hydrating CUPS OF TEA.5. Package prideJude was making a joke about all the rave reviews he’s had in the past year declaring that he is ‘the complete package.’ These reviews have inevitably led to his mates constantly ribbing him about his ‘complete package’ in the way that all men do with their male friends whenever there’s any reference to a package of any kind. Jude’s repeated gesticulation towards a certain part of his anatomy was a deadpan statement of confirmation that his package is indeed impressively complete.6. Madrid nodJude’s shirt number for Real Madrid is No5, so he was sending a subliminal message to his mates (who we can pretend are all Real Madrid fans for the purposes of this investigation) that the genius level of his goal was entirely down to the elite-level training he’s done at Madrid that’s made him one of the world’s best players.7. Channelling CristianoHe was channelling one of his heroes, Cristiano Ronaldo, who once celebrated an El Clasico goal for Madrid against Barcelona in the rival’s Nou Camp stadium by sticking his hands out and saying ‘calma, calma’, then shushing them with his fingers. Jude just forgot which way he should be pointing his hands, and that you shush by putting your fingers to your lips not your nose – both easy mistakes to make in the pressure cauldron of an international tournament when you’ve just helped win a crucial knock-out match with a worldie.8. Olympic outrageJude was highlighting the iconic 5 Olympic rings because he wants to raise awareness that it’s ridiculous Team GB won’t be fielding a men’s football team in the upcoming Paris Olympics.This is due to the stupid ongoing dispute between the four home nation teams that means they can’t agree to play together. Jude’s livid that this will stop him winning an Olympic medal and was merely letting off steam about it.READ MORE SUN STORIES9. Hunger gameJude was starving hungry after the match, not least because he expended so much more energy during the 30 minutes of extra time, so he was frantically telling his mates that his stomach needed filling with his favourite dish, baked beans and eggs.10. Hitting back at GaryJude was winding up Gary Lineker, who branded the England team as ‘sh*t’ after an earlier match, by pointing out he’s better endowed than the BBC’s star presenter, which is almost certainly true. More

ENGLAND fans were clutching their heads in despair until midfielder Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time goal in the Euros on Sunday.But did you know the gesture that has become all too familiar among football supporters actually goes back thousands of years?Fans putting their hands to their heads comes from a Celtic tradition that is two millennia oldCredit: i-ImagesFootball fans have a French opera from 1880 to thank for mascotsCredit: PAFrom why we wear football scarves to the Three Lions symbol, Alex Lloyd reveals the secret stories behind 11 of the game’s wonderful traditions . . . 1. Our Celtic ancestors were a fearsome bunch. But while they didn’t shy away from Romans, they did worry that the sky might fall down when anything bad happened.For this reason they began putting their hands to their heads to protect themselves in times of worry. Two millennia later we’re still doing it at the footie.READ MORE ON THREE LIONSBody language experts say the  reaction is an attempt to make ourselves feel safer, smaller and hidden.2. The red card is a universal symbol of foul play, first used in the 1970 Mexico World Cup thanks to English referee Ken Aston.He was inspired by traffic lights, and  introduced colours to communicate decisions between teams who speak different languages.3. Football chants have their roots in traditional folk songs and story-telling. Experts cite them as a modern example of “blason populaire”, where humorous stereotypes about rivals are invoked to create social cohesion in a group. Most read in FootballThe oldest football song in the world still in use is believed to be On The Ball City, sung by Norwich City fans.4. Mascots such as Arsenal’s Gunnersaurus owe their existence to a much more highbrow pastime. Watch Rio Ferdinand get on the beers with rowdy England fans as BBC Euros pundit cheers on Three Lions against SlovakiaThe Oxford English Dictionary lists the first recorded use of “mascotte” in 1880 in a French opera of the same name, about a person being a symbol of good fortune or  “lucky charm”.5. Playing in a game can be likened to going into battle, so it’s no wonder the Three Lions crest has military roots. English soldiers in the 12th century would carry flags with three gold lions on a red background to inspire them to be brave.The emblem was adopted by the FA in 1863.6. In the 19th century  brass bands were hired to entertain crowds during breaks in matches and boost their spirits.Many stadiums still keep  drums beating in games to this day.7. It is believed striped scarves started appearing around the 1930s. Traditionally, winter coats were made of dark material, so  fans wore the  accessories in their team’s colours as  a more  practical symbol of support than a rosette or rattle in the colder months. Trophies being lifted above players’ heads comes from a photographer asking for a better view of the trophyCredit: GettyReferees have traffic lights to thank for the colour of red and yellow cardsCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty8. Wearing football shirts was the preserve of the players until the 1973-74 season, when the brand Admiral sold the first replica shirt, for Leeds United.Teams such as  Liverpool today make £113million  a year from kit and merchandise sales.9. Numbers from one to 11 were first added to the backs of shirts to identify players’ positions when Arsenal played Sheffield Wednesday at home in 1928.Since the 1954 World Cup they have gradually  evolved so players have their own  numbers which often have no bearing on their position. Some are  a “lucky” or significant number.10. Singing Abide With Me before the FA Cup Final dates back to  1927, when Cardiff beat Arsenal 1-0.The hymn, written in 1847 by Anglican cleric Henry Francis Lyte as he was dying of TB, reminds the two sides to stay united, even in defeat.READ MORE SUN STORIES11. Whoever wins the 2024 Euros, you can guarantee the captain will celebrate by lifting the silverware in the air.This triumphant gesture began by accident at the 1958 World Cup, when Brazil skipper Hilder-aldo Bellini heard photographers call for a better view of the Jules Rimet Trophy and held it up.The three lions on the England shirt have a military originCredit: Alamy More