Banned! Jobe Bellingham's father barred from Borussia Dortmund dressing room after heated interaction

Borussia Dortmund have tightened their post-match rules by barring players’ families from the dressing room area following an incident involving Jobe Bellingham’s father at the weekend. Mark Bellingham, who also advises his son, had flown in from England to watch the 19-year-old’s Bundesliga debut away at St. Pauli on Saturday. Jobe, signed from Sunderland in a £32 million move this summer, started the game but was taken off at half-time by coach Niko Kovac. According to reports in Germany, Mark Bellingham waited in the tunnel after full-time and questioned sporting director Sebastian Kehl about the decision. He was said to be upset both by his son’s withdrawal and Dortmund’s collapse, with the team surrendering a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3.There were reports also that Bellingham senior sought a direct meeting with Kovac and “made no secret of his opinion.” Some players are also understood to have noticed his frustration in the restricted area. On Sunday, however, Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken played down the matter, while confirming that new restrictions will now apply. “We got Jobe Bellingham because we really built a relationship of trust with the parents over the years. Now the family flew in especially for their son’s first Bundesliga game and wanted to meet Jobe after the game,” Ricken told Sky90 – The Football Debate. “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. In the future though, we will ensure that players, coaches, and any officials have access to the locker room area, so that we no longer get into trouble by commenting on such news. But today everything has been resolved – no drama.” Dortmund’s next match comes with the backdrop of a disappointing start, having left Hamburg with only a point despite leading by two goals late on.