Jobe Bellingham controversy triggers policy shift inside Borussia Dortmund camp

Borussia Dortmund have introduced stricter access rules for their dressing room following an incident involving the father of English midfielder Jobe Bellingham.

From now on, only players, coaches and club executives will be allowed in the dressing room area. Until now, agents and family members had relatively easy access to restricted areas of the stadium.

Jobe Bellingham's Bundesliga debut sparks controversy at Borussia Dortmund

The change follows a dispute between Mark Bellingham — Jobe’s father — and Dortmund’s sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, after the club's Bundesliga opener against St Pauli. The 19-year-old, who wears the number seven shirt, was substituted at half time in what was his Bundesliga debut — a decision that reportedly angered his family.

According to German press reports, Mark Bellingham attempted to confront head coach Niko Kovac in the tunnel after the final whistle to express his frustration. Kehl intervened, leading to a heated exchange between the two.

Dortmund's general manager, Lars Ricken, later clarified the situation:

“We signed Jobe Bellingham because we built a genuine relationship of trust with his parents over the years. They were in the corridor leading to the dressing room and had a rather emotional conversation with Sebastian, which is not a problem at all given the relationship we've built.”

He added:

“We're all disappointed with the result of the game. However, the playing area is, and will continue to be, reserved for players, coaches and executives – not for family members or agents. This will not happen again. We’ve made sure all parties involved are aware of this.”

Bellingham begins his journey in Germany

Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund from Sunderland in June 2025 and made his debut for the club at the FIFA Club World Cup. He is now beginning to establish himself in the Bundesliga.

The England Under-21 international signed a contract until June 2030 and hopes to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Jude, now at Real Madrid after a successful spell with Dortmund.

Unlike his sibling, Jobe has opted to wear only his first name on his shirt in an attempt to avoid direct comparisons.

So far, the midfielder has played six matches for Dortmund, scoring once and registering one assist. He is expected to feature again this Sunday (August 31), when Dortmund face Union Berlin at 12.30pm BST in the second round of the Bundesliga.

This article was originally published on Trivela.