Dortmund Tightens Locker Room Access After Bellingham Family Incident

Borussia Dortmund is instituting new measures to restrict access to their locker room areas after an incident following a recent match. The move comes after Jobe Bellingham's father, Mark Bellingham, confronted sporting director Sebastian Kehl about his son's substitution at halftime.

Mark Bellingham, who traveled from England to witness his son's debut against St. Pauli, was reportedly upset about the decision to replace Jobe at halftime. Although Lars Ricken, Dortmund's managing director, would not elaborate on the discussion, he did confirm that only players, coaches, and officials will have locker room access going forward.

This decision is intended to prevent similar incidents and maintain professional boundaries. Ricken emphasized the club's longstanding relationship with the Bellingham family and acknowledged the emotional nature of the exchange. Dortmund ultimately drew 3-3 with St. Pauli, as Jobe experienced a challenging debut.

(With inputs from agencies.)