Borussia Dortmund Bans Families from Dressing Room After Jobe Bellingham’s Father’s Fury Over Son’s Substitution

Borussia Dortmund has banned players’ families from the club’s dressing room following an incident involving the father of new signing Jobe Bellingham.

The controversy arose during Dortmund’s 3-3 draw with St. Pauli, in which 19-year-old Bellingham, who was making his first Bundesliga start since a £32 million summer transfer from Sunderland, was substituted at halftime.

Dortmund led 1-0 at the break but ultimately gave up a 3-1 lead with only five minutes remaining, resulting in a disappointing draw.

According to reports from Sky Sports Germany and BILD, Bellingham’s father, Mark, was furious about his son’s substitution.

He allegedly waited in the tunnel to confront the team’s hierarchy, engaging in a heated discussion with sporting director Sebastian Kehl. BILD claims that he also sought a direct meeting with manager Niko Kovac to express his frustration.

Following the incident, Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken confirmed the new policy, stating that the club has now prohibited all family members from accessing the dressing room area.

Speaking to Sky90 – The Football Debate, he said:

“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

“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.”