Mark Bellingham, the father of Real Madrid star Jude and his younger brother Job, recently clashed with Borussia Dortmund manager Sebastian Kehl in a headline-grabbing incident.
England legend Sir Geoff Hurst has called Mark Bellingham’s behavior an “utter disgrace” after he angrily confronted Borussia Dortmund leaders after the match. Mark is the father of Real Madrid star Jude and Dortmund midfielder Jobe.
The former non-league striker and former sergeant helped broker Jobe’s £31m move from Sunderland to Dortmund in June, with Jude following in the footsteps of his older brother who starred for the German giants from 2020 to 2023. But Jobe hasn’t hit his stride, starting only three of the nine games so far this season.
On the opening day of the Bundesliga, in an away match against St. Pauli, Jobe was cruelly sent off at half-time by Dortmund manager Niko Kovac. This decision infuriated Mark, who waited in the tunnel after the final whistle to confront members of the club’s hierarchy.
Jobe’s father, accompanied by his wife Denis, reportedly got into a heated argument with Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl as the match finished 3-3, expressing his dissatisfaction with both the substitution and BVB’s performance. The incident made headlines in Germany, was covered by the British press, and caught the attention of World Cup hero Hurst.
Speaking at an event in Bristol, the last surviving member of England’s starting line-up from the 1966 victory over Germany did not mince words about Bellingham. “What annoyed me was the picture in the newspaper about the most powerful man in English football – Jude Bellingham’s father,” Hurst, 83, said as quoted by The Sun newspaper.
“When my son was left out of a game, he complained, but it’s a complete joke. If we don’t stamp out things like that, it’s an absolute shame.”
At the start of the event, Hirst praised Jude and Harry Kane as the two England stars he most admires. But the iconic striker, who famously scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley, has no time for family interference.
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Dortmund banned all family members from entering the tunnel area following Mark’s abuse. BVB managing director Lars Ricken played down the conflict in a speech on Sky90 – Football Debate, insisting there was “no drama”.
However, the Dortmund manager confirmed that family rules have been enforced. “We acquired Jobe Bellingham because we have really built a trusting relationship with the parents over the years,” Ricken explained.
“The family had now flown in 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 was no problem at all given the relationship.”
“But in the future, we will make sure that players, coaches and officials have access to the locker room area so that they no longer get into trouble for commenting on such news. But today everything has been resolved. There is no drama.”
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